Lions next in line of fire as US rolls back curbs on African hunting trophies

The Trump administration's lifting of restrictions on importing elephant body parts from Zimbabwe and Zambia is not the last gift to hunting interests

Hunting interests have scored a major victory with the Trump administration's decision to allow Americans to bring home body parts of elephants shot for sport in Africa. Another totemic species now looks set to follow suit - lions.

As the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was announcing it was lifting a ban on the import of elephant "trophies" from Zimbabwe and Zambia, it also quietly published new guidelines that showed lions shot in the two African countries will also be eligible to adorn American homes.