Boris Johnson vows to ban import of hunting trophies from endangered animals

Boris Johnson vows to ban import of hunting trophies from endangered animals as he declares: ‘We must end this barbaric practice’

  • The Prime Minister pledged to stop callous hunters bringing them into Britain
  • It comes months after an exposé revealed the cruelty of South Africa’s lion farms
  • Lord Ashcroft exposed how lions bred in captivity would either be shot or killed

Boris Johnson yesterday vowed to ban imports of hunting trophies from endangered animals, in a stunning victory for The Mail on Sunday.

The Prime Minister pledged to stop callous hunters bringing the heads, skins and other parts of animals shot for pleasure into Britain, declaring: ‘We must end this barbaric practice’.

It comes five months after an exposé in the Mail on Sunday revealed the cruelty and horror of South Africa’s lion farms.

The Prime Minister pledged to stop callous hunters bringing the heads, skins and other parts of animals shot for pleasure into Britain, declaring: ‘We must end this barbaric practice’. Pictured: Simba the lion was shot with a tranquilliser by city worker Mark Wakefield, who paid £3,076 to do so

It comes five months after an exposé in the Mail on Sunday revealed the cruelty and horror of South Africa's lion farms. Pictured:: Simba before he was shot - he was later rescued by a team directed by former Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft

It comes five months after an exposé in the Mail on Sunday revealed the cruelty and horror of South Africa’s lion farms. Pictured:: Simba before he was shot – he was later rescued by a team directed by former Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft

An investigation by former Tory peer Lord Ashcroft exposed how up to 12,000 lions bred in captivity are destined to either be shot by hunters or killed in slaughterhouses.

Trophy hunters’ kills are exempt from international controls supposed to stop the parts of endangered animals from being imported or exported.

Lord Ashcroft said last night: ‘Now we must all press on to work together to end this abusive, vile and deplorable industry.’

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