The planned auction of a lion skin and head by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been condemned by conservationists.
The item is being auctioned at UKIP's annual gala dinner in
Eastbourne.
Chris MacSween, of Kent-based charity Lion Aid, said it was "stupid and insensitive" and UKIP was effectively "condoning lion
trophy hunting".
UKIP said it was donated by a party member and it did not support "modern day hunting of lions for their skins".
'Zimbabwe gift'
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We would urge all parties, from whatever persuasion, to abandon ideas of selling wildlife for political gain”
Born Free Foundation
The party's website listing of the item says: "Antique skin, with head, of a lioness shot in Zimbabwe. (Reserve £200) Donated by Geoffrey Clark (who did not shoot it!)."
A party spokesman said: "We appreciate that such an item is not to everybody's taste.
"The lion head and skin is an antique which was donated to the party by a member. The member in question originally received it as a gift following a stint working in Zimbabwe.
"It is approximately 45 to 50 years old and came into the country long before modern day legislation was in place to halt such imports."
Ms MacSween expressed "shock and horror" and said the auction was "in the worst possible taste".
"UKIP has not only accepted this trophy in as an auction item, but now they want to earn money from it," she said.
"You don't sell trophies onwards. Secondly, anyone who bids for that trophy is also exhibiting the worst possible taste here. Thirdly, buying trophies stimulates the market for more lions to be hunted."
'Trophy hunting'
She called for UKIP to remove the item from the auction list and for it to be confiscated and a full investigation to be conducted as to how it came into the
UK.
"Maybe it did come in through a legal means, but we are working so very, very hard with a lot of politicians both in
Europe and in the UK, cross party, to try and get trophy hunting stopped," she said.
Will Travers, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, also condemned the auction.
"Born Free is not interested in politics. It is interested in animal conservation and animal welfare," he said.
"Selling animal trophies of any kind - whether it be lion, rhino or tiger - draws attention to the trade and may stimulate unscrupulous dealings.
"Therefore we would urge all parties, from whatever persuasion, to abandon ideas of selling wildlife for political gain."
The auction is due to take place on Friday evening during the gala, which is part of the party's annual conference.
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Having been in The Durrell Research Facility in Jersey at the weekend I was interested to note that WWF have spent a part of their budget collected in from people for the protection of endangered species yet they have spent the money on sponsoring/supporting the killing of elephants.
The foolish part of UKIP leadership action was in fact describing the ornamental trophy pelt as antique!!! which it clearly is not.
Lions are NOT a protected species as such though they are protected in some areas - that an animal was shot and killed is in itself not a problem as it may well have been an elderly animal predating domestic cattle on the outskirts of Bulawayo for all we know and the knee jerk reactive comments of the imbecilic are what so rightly brings the entire so called 'Green' movement into disrepute.
It may surprise some that lions are prolific breeders and as with an orchid on a bowling green nothing more than a damned nuissance in the wrong place!
Also it is worth noting that lions are not immortal and 100s live in captivity and may well be quite legitimately stuffed or form trophy pelts when they die.
There is also an entire industry which has been exposed by Daniel Foggo over the years which organises trophy shooting for inadequates with money - much of this is the shooting of lions as they are abundant and they are caged in large open pens and wealthy inadequates pay to follow them for a couple of hundred yards and then shoot them in the secure knowledge that there is a professional gun either side of them to kill the beast if it turns and the client is at danger!
It happens that this week there was just such a story in The Sunday Times see:
CLICK HERE.
This beast was shot in Zambia for money with a hired gun, and it was most probably a penned animal and may well have been circus stock bred in captivity, now surplus to requirement. The industry does at least feed numerous africans who may well starve without the work!
There are many consequential issues that UKIP and particularly its leadership can legitimately be castigated for but this example of their stupidity is hardly of any consequence and surely shows nothing more than the utter incompetence of their PR, Press Office and judgement YET AGAIN.
More harm has come from UKIP's Press Office and the garbage they have employed there than has EVER been noted by their achievements!
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