Vermont Becomes 12th State to Ban the Trade of Imperiled Wildlife Parts

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A new law was signed into action in Vermont effectively ending their participation in the trade of imperiled wildlife parts. The ban will come in to effect officially in January of 2022 which would make it illegal to trade / sell any wildlife parts from 15 of the world's most imperiled species which includes giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, jaguars, lions, pangolins, and sea turtles among others.  

This ban is a necessary step in protecting the world's most endangered animals. While it is incredible news that another US state has moved forward with a ban, we need more of a united front against the extinction crisis so many animals on our planet face. We need action and we need it quickly. When we're talking about extinction, we are talking about the possibility of a species disappearing from our planet. That in itself should be a reason for urgency across the board. It's astonishing that we are seeing such a slow and lackluster response to this extinction crisis when the facts have repeatedly presented themselves to us. Elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs; these animals are in serious danger of going extinct in the wild and we do not have a global cooperation in addressing these perils.

What we need to see across the board immediately is a ban on trophy hunting. Enough of the arguments from trophy hunters that their money is funneled into local communities and conservation efforts. This has been disproven countless times and the argument that slaughtering endangered animals works towards their conservation is hypocritical and frankly, asinine. If we continue to allow wealthy people to kill innocent, endangered animals, we are contributing to their extinction, it's as simple as that. There is no sane argument in defense of trophy hunting which is why I've said countless times that we need a global ban on any kind of trophy hunting whatsoever. If we somehow can't manage this, than at the very least there should be a ban on trophy hunting of any species that is listed as "endangered", "vulnerable", or "at risk". 

We have to commit as a global community to the conservation of animals. There shouldn't be two sides to this situation, animals are rapidly dying and we are contributing to their possible extinction. Knowing this, let's come together with real solutions to the extinction crisis. Ban the import of animal trophies from endangered animals across the board. Ban trophy hunting of animals that are classified as endangered. Devalue ivory, pangolin scales, and parts from any animal that is endangered. These are common sense things that as a global community, we should already be doing. If we do not step up our game, we will see the extinction of some of the most recognized and beloved species on our planet and it will be entirely due to our lackluster approach and inaction.

Thank you Vermont for taking a stand for animals. Let's continue the momentum and work towards global bans!

HAPPY VEG