In response to the recent outrage over the death of Cecil the Lion, Delta Airlines joined six other airlines in changing its rules. It is no longer legal to transport a big-game trophy on any Delta flight, according to the New York Times.
Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air France, KLM, IAG Cargo and Iberia also banned trophy transportation in light of the Cecil controversy. It's a victory for Paul Ferris, campaign director for SumOfUs.org. The Brooklyn-based group has been pushing for a change in airline cargo transportation policies, and they're getting it.
"Airlines and other large travel corporations would be foolish to ignore the public reaction to the killing of Cecil the Lion, and growing concern about the plight of endangered species," Ferris said, the New York Times reported.
Big-game trophies now banned on airlines include lions, tigers, elephants and rhinos. Delta is the only American company with direct service between the U.S. and Africa.
Cecil the Lion was a celebrity in Zimbabwe, where he was known to tourists and locals alike. Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer notoriously hunted and killed Cecil last week. There was a huge public outcry against the killing. The U.S. Senate responded with the CECIL bill (Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large animal trophies), according to the Huffington Post.
Almost 400,000 people signed a Change.org petition asking Delta Airlines to change its policy regarding the transportation of exotic animal trophies, according to Fox News. The Animal Humane Society has asked all major airlines to follow Delta's example.
