CAMPAIGN TO BAN TROPHY HUNTING Press Release For immediate release: Sunday 17th March 2019 Contact: Eduardo Gonçalves [email protected] 0782 682 4384 ​ ​ REVEALED: The U.K. hunter who ‘has shot more wildlife than the killer of Cecil the Lion’ The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting has today revealed the identity of a British man who has killed hundreds of animals in 5 continents, and is considered to be among the world’s ‘elite’ in the global trophy hunting industry. Malcolm King has won a staggering 36 top awards with Safari Club International (SCI), the industry’s biggest lobby group, and has at least 125 entries in SCI’s Records Book. SCI President Paul Babaz, who is also a board member of the NRA, described the hunting group’s mission as “to protect the freedom to hunt whatever game we choose to hunt, as well as protect the right to own the firearms of our choice”. The combined number of animals required for the awards won by King is 528. Among his awards are prizes for shooting African ‘Big Game’, wild cats, and bears, as well as animals in Asia and the South Pacific. Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said: “Very few hunters anywhere have amassed so many of the industry’s obscene ‘Oscars’. Malcolm King is Britain’s ‘Walter Palmer’. The difference is he’s shot more animals than the killer of Cecil the Lion.” The revelation comes just weeks before the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, taking place on April 13 in major cities throughout Europe, the US and Africa. In the U.K., where 500,000 people have signed petitions calling for Britain to ban trophy imports, thousands will be marching to Downing Street to press their demands. Governments are due to meet in Sri Lanka in May for the three-yearly CITES conference on trade in endangered species. The treaty bans trade in endangered wildlife except ‘in exceptional circumstances’. However a loophole currently exempts trophy hunters, allowing them to shoot even the most vulnerable species. The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting says that an estimated 1.7 million animals have been killed by trophy hunters over the past decade, of which over 200,000 were endangered species. It warned that lions were among those species that could be pushed to extinction by trophy hunting. An estimated 10,000 lions have been killed by ‘recreational’ hunters in the last decade. Latest estimates for the African lion population put numbers at just 20,000, with some saying they could be as low as 13,000. “Malcolm King has travelled to every corner of the globe to shoot animals for amusement,” said Eduardo Gonçalves. “People will be shocked to learn that CITES - the global convention meant to protect wildlife - permits trophy hunters to kill lions, elephants and rhinos for ‘fun’. “It’s illegal for a desperate African to kill an elephant for meat or tusks. But a rich American or European can kill the same elephant to amuse himself and take its tusks home. “Industry groups like Safari Club International promote prizes which actively encourage hunters to kill endangered animals in large numbers. It’s little wonder our wildlife is in crisis. “The U.K. government is a laggard when it comes to protecting vulnerable wildlife. The Trump administration prohibits imports of trophies such as cheetahs. Britain lets hunters bring them in. “France, Holland and Australia have all banned lion trophies. Our government has done a u-turn on promises to do the same. “Trophy hunting is an aberration in a civilised society. It’s cruel, immoral and archaic, and is doing untold damage to endangered wildlife.” The Campaign was launched in October by former League Against Cruel Sports CEO Eduardo Gonçalves and WWF Director Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud with the backing of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Bill Oddie. The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting is supported by a range of public figures including: - TalkTalk chairman Sir Charles Dunstone and businessman Julian Richer; - Catholic Church environment spokesman Bishop John Arnold; - TV presenters Lorraine Kelly and Eamonn Holmes; stars including Joanna Lumley, Annette Crosbie, David Jason and Jan Leeming; - athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Sir Steven Redgrave and cricketer Kevin Pietersen; - ex-RSPCA CEO Jeremy Cooper; - ecologists Jonathon Porritt and George Monbiot; - conservationists Damian Aspinall and Chris Packham; and - musicians Ed Sheeran and Liam Gallagher, among others (See https://bantrophyhunting.org/supporters/ ) ​ The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting and Zac Goldsmith MP have tabled EDM 1829 calling for a U.K. ban on trophy imports. The motion has won cross-party support from 159 MPs including an unprecedented 4 Westminster party leaders and the chairman of the Conservative 1922 backbench committee: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/52304 ​ According to the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting’s investigation, Malcolm King has won: - 4 Safari Club International ‘Continental Awards’ for hunting in the South Pacific, Asia, Europe and Africa; - 7 Safari Club International ‘Grand Slam Awards’ including the “Africa 29” (minimum 29 different species), “Dangerous Game of Africa” (minimum 5 different species), “Cats of the World” (minimum 4 different species) and “Bears of the World” (minimum 5 different species); - 25 Safari Club International “Inner Circle Awards” including the ‘Hunting Achievement Award (Diamond - minimum 125 SCI Record Book entries), the ‘Global Hunting Award’ (Gold - minimum 50 different species), and ’Animals of Africa’ (Gold - minimum 61 different species). He has also won the Safari Club International’s coveted “Pinnacle of Achievement Award” (Fourth Pinnacle), and its “Zenith Award”. In addition he has won the “Ullman Award” (Fourth Echelon) which is a European hunting association award. Full details of his awards and the species required for each are given below. ENDS Notes: ​ 1. CITES (the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) was established in 1975 and meets every 3 years. Representatives of the 182 member states are gathering in Colombo, Sri Lanka this year from May 23-June 3. The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting has launched a global petition calling on the trophy hunting ‘loophole’ to be closed: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/close-the-loophole-that-allows-hunters-to-kill-endangered- wildlife?source=direct_link& 2. A ‘Global March for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions’ is taking place in dozens of cities around the world, including London, on April 13. Organisers - including the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting - will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street calling for an immediate ban on hunting trophy imports into the U.K. 3. Details of awards won by Malcolm W King: SCI CONTINENTAL AWARD: “South Pacific 8” - minimum 8 species from: Banteng, water buffalo, feral ox, blackbuck, chamois, Himalayan tahr, feral goat, Arapawa sheep, red deer, wapiti, Sika deer, Sambar, Javan Rusa deer, Moluccan rusa deer, axis deer, hog deer, European fallow deer, white tailed deer, feral boar, Pacific walrus SCI CONTINENTAL AWARD: “Asia 8” - minimum 8 species from: Eurasian lynx, Eurasian brown bear, Siberian brown bear, Kamchatka brown bear, Amur brown bear, mideastern brown bear, gray wolf, Asian striped hyena, wolverine, feral yak, water buffalo, Nilgai, four horned antelope, Indian gazelle, Kennion gazelle, Persian Goitered gazelle, Hillier Goitered gazelle, Mongolian gazelle, Tibetan gazelle, Przewalski gazelle, Yarkand Goitered gazelle, blackbuck, Russian saiga, Mishmi takin, Sichuan takin, Golden takin, Anatolian chamois, Caucasian chamois, Himalayan tahr, Bezoar ibex, Persian Ibex, Hybrid ibex, Sindh ibex, Nubian ibex, mid Asian Ibex, Himalayan ibex, Siberian ibex, Gobi Ibex, West Caucasian tur, mid Caucasian tur, East Caucasian tur, Astor markhor, Bukharan markhor, Kashmir markhor, Kabul markhor, Sulaiman markhor, Himalayan blue sheep, Chinese blue sheep, dwarf blue sheep, Konya mouflon, Armenian mouflon, Esfahan mouflon, Laristan mouflon, Shiraz mouflon, red sheep, Kerman sheep, Transcaspian urial, Afghan urial, Blanford urial, Punjab urial, Altay argali, Hangay argali, Gobi argali, Marco Polo argali, Karaganda argali, Sair argali, Littledale argali, Gansu argali, Kuruktag argali, Tibetan argali, Tian Shan argali, Severtzov argali, Kamchatka snow sheep, Putorana snow sheep, Koryak snow sheep, Okhotsk snow sheep, Kolyma snow sheep, Yakutia snow sheep, mideastern red deer, Gansu deer, Tian Shan wapiti, Altai wapiti, Alashan wapiti, Manchurian wapiti, white lipped deer, Manchurian sika deer, Indian Sambar, indo-Chinese Sambar, Philippine Sambar, axis deer, Indian hog deer, European roe deer, Siberian roe deer, Chinese roe deer, Philippine brown deer, mouse deer, European moose, Yakutia moose, Chukotka moose, Amur moose, reindeer, Indian muntjac, Reeves muntjac, Eurasian wild boar, bearded pig, jackal, Asian wild cat SCI CONTINENTAL AWARD: “European 12” - minimum 12 species from: European wildcat, Eurasian lynx, Eurasian brown bear, gray wolf, European bison, Russian saiga, Pyrenean chamois, Cantabrian chamois, Alpine chamois, Balkan chamois, Carpathian chamois, Chartreuse chamois, Kri kri Ibex, Gredos ibex, Beceite ibex, Tatra chamois, SE Spanish ibex, Ronda Ibex, Alpine ibex, Balearean goat, Iberian mouflon, Central European mouflon, English red deer, European red deer, Iberian red deer, Scottish red deer, white red deer, Barasingha, European fallow deer, European roe deer, Siberian roe deer, European moose, reindeer, European wild boar, Himalayan tahr, feral goat, aoudad, Dalmatian sheep, Soay sheep,