Donald Trump postpones decision on allowing import of elephant parts

Donald Trump said that he would delay his administration’s decision to allow the importing of elephant body parts from Zimbabwe “until such time as I review all conservation facts” in a tweet on Friday evening.

The postponement came just one day after the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said it would reverse an Obama administration ban on importing elephant hunting trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, arguing that it would actually save the animals.

The agency said the decision “will help protect wild elephants for future generations” because the money generated by US big-game hunters seeking trophies helps fund conservation efforts in many African countries.

Many conservationists opposed the decision, however, saying the Trump administration was pandering to big game hunters.

Elephant populations in Africa have declined precipitously over the past 15 years, despite crackdowns on poaching and the ivory trade.

The Obama administration introduced the ban on importing elephant trophies from Zimbabwe in 2014 due to a lack of information about the status of the country’s population and conservation programme. African elephants are protected under the US Endangered Species Act.