Conservation News: Animal Rights Groups Applaud U.S.’ Move to Give African Lions Real Protection

The U.S.' recent decision to include African lions in the endangered species list was praised by various animal rights groups.

For them, this move will ensure the protection and conservation of these animals.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the country's Endangered Species Act was amended to cover African lions in response to the killing of Cecil earlier in July. The African male lion was killed by a dentist based in the U.S. who was on Zimbabwe at that time for recreational hunting. The issue immediately gained the attention of people in different regions after the hunter posted photos of the dead lion online.

Then, earlier this month, the FWS announced that it has updated the Endangered Species Act to include the African lions.

"The lion is one of the planet's most beloved species and an irreplaceable part of our shared global heritage," FWS director Dan Ashe said in a statement according to Science Alert.

"If we want to ensure that health lion populations continue to roam the African savannahs and forests of India, it's up to all of us - not just the people of Africa and India - to take action," he added.

Under federal protection, Ashe noted that the FWS will strengthen its efforts in curbing lion hunting and poachine. Likewise, the agency will also penalize those involved in the transportation and trade of these animals and their by-products.

One of the industries that will be greatly affected by the new ruling is South Africa's hunting market. According to Yubanet, through this sector, around 5,640 lions have been killed by American hunters in the last 10 years. Through hunting and poaching, the population of lions in Africa has declined by 60 percent.

But, with the help of the Endangered Species Act, various organizations especially animal rights advocates are confident that the population of lions will bounce back to a healthy number. More importantly, these animals will receive the protection they deserve, Court House News reported.

"It has been a very long four years waiting for this decision, with each year seeing more lions slaughtered by hunters for trophies," Adam Roberts, the CEO of Born Free Foundation and Born Free USA said in a statement.

"This is a victory and we applaud US FWS for agreeing that these animas deserve significant international protection under the [Endangered Species Act]: popularly considered one of the world's most important conservation laws," he added.