Products made of threatened African wildlife sold at US expo

Source: Associated Press

Products made of threatened African wildlife sold at US expo

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and SCOTT SONNER
January 18, 2019

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Photos and video taken by animal welfare activists at a recent trophy hunting convention show an array of products crafted from the body parts of threatened big-game animals, including boots, chaps, belts and furniture labeled as elephant leather.

Vendors at the Safari Club International event held last week in Reno, Nevada, also were recorded hawking African vacations to shoot captive-bred lions raised in pens. The club has previously said it wouldn’t allow the sale of so-called canned hunts at its events.

The hidden camera footage was released Friday by the Humane Society of the United States. Both federal and state laws restrict the commercial sale of hides from African elephants, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Nevada’s chief game warden confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that an investigation is underway to determine if state law was violated.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/3bc8d6756c424f25bc777af84e3a0643


This image provided by the Humane Society of the United States shows a painting on elephant hide for sale at the Safari Club International conference in Reno, Nev., on Jan. 9, 2019. Photos and video taken by animal welfare activists show an array of potentially illicit products crafted from the body... (Associated Press)