Compassion at 30,000 Feet

200_2D00_IssuesEntertainCruelSportsHuntingCannedThe skies just got friendlier for endangered animals! Both South African Airways and Emirates airline recently banned the transport of hunting trophies on their planes—a firm rebuke of “sport” hunters who travel to foreign lands for the chance to slaughter exotic animals.

Without human intervention, wild animals regulate their own populations based on the availability of food and secure habitats. Trophy hunters destroy this natural regulation. They slaughter animals for sport—often in “canned hunting” operations where animals are usually penned in and have no chance of escape—and then send the carcasses home as trophies.

South African Airways led the charge against this cruel “sport” back in April when it prohibited the transport of trophies taken from all animals slaughtered during hunting activities.

Emirates airline soon followed suit with a ban on trophies taken from elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, and tigers. As Emirates is one of the largest carriers in the world, its ban on such trophies is likely to have far-reaching ramifications. And unlike Air France, Emirates also prohibits the transport of monkeys to laboratories for experimentation.

What’s your favorite airline’s policy on hunting-trophy transport? Write to the company to find out, and then let us know in the comments below.