Dr Eric Jensen is an internationally recognised expert on public engagement with wildlife. He is the author of From Conservation Education to Public Engagement: Research, Principles and Practice (Cambridge University Press).

Reacting to the announcement that the American dentist who shot dead Cecil the lion will not face criminal charges, he said:

“This news that the hunter who shot Cecil the lion was not acting illegally highlights the fact that this lion killing was not an aberration. It was part of the normal process of trophy hunting that has been going on for years, with news media taking little notice.

“Demand for products linked to endangered species in places such as the U.S., Europe and Asia are threatening the survival of these species. Just as with the illegal drug trade, the source of the problem is not in the developing countries where it is most visible, but rather in the wealthy developed nations that create the demand.

“The demand for endangered animal trophies and the continued use of endangered animal products for medicinal purposes needs to be targeted at source, with the nations on the demand side of this equation taking much more consistent and serious action against its own citizens who fuel the trade in endangered species.”

Notes to Editors:

Contact Lee Page, Communications Manager, Press and Policy Office, The University of Warwick. Tel: +44 (0)2476 574 255, Mob: +44 (0)7920 531 221. Email: l.page@warwick.ac.uk.

Contact

Lee Page, Communications Manager

Tel: +44 (0)2476 574 255.

Mob: +44 (0)7920 531 221.

Email: l.page@warwick.ac.uk