Following the furor surrounding the killing of the lion Cecil at Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, Georgia-based Delta Air Lines DAL, which has operations in Africa, issued a statement banning shipments of trophy kills on its aircraft.
Cecil, who was part of a 13-year Oxford University study, was hunted down last month by a Minnesota-based dentist, Walter Palmer, along with a group of hunters including local guide Theo Bronkhorst, using bows and arrows. The dentist was on a vacation in Zimbabwe and, according to a report appearing in Fortune, paid a fee of $50,000 for the trophy hunting.
The killing of the much-loved 13-year old African lion has sparked an outrage across the globe. The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a report appearing in Bloomberg.
Following the killing, animal rights groups are demanding a ban on trophy hunting. Moreover, the African nation has requested for the extradition of the dentist, whose gross act has invited criticism from all quarters. Moreover, according to the Bloomberg report, wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe have pulled the strings on hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in select areas near the Hwange National Park – Zimbabwe’s biggest animal sanctuary. Rumors surfaced that another lion, Jericho (possibly Cecil’s brother), has also been killed by poachers. However, the rumors have thankfully been put to rest with the reports proven to be false.
In this backdrop, Delta has taken strict measures to ban transportation of trophies of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and buffalos as cargo on its planes. Even though the carrier has not mentioned the Cecil incident as a reason behind its decision, the move will surely find favor with animal protection groups. A message posted on the airline’s website stated, “Prior to this ban, Delta's strict acceptance policy called for absolute compliance with all government regulations regarding protected species. Delta will also review acceptance policies of other hunting trophies with appropriate government agencies and other organizations supporting legal shipments."
Delta is the latest airline to announce a ban on shipment of hunting trophies. Many foreign carriers have earlier announced similar bans. We expect investors to stay tuned on further updates from the airline space pertaining to this sensitive issue.
Zacks Rank
Delta currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the airline space include China Eastern Airlines CEA, Ryanair Holdings RYAAY and Allegiant Travel Company ALGT. All the three stocks carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free report>>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Be the first to comment