By Hayley O’Keeffe
Campaigners, including electronic music legend Gary Numan, are calling for urgent action this International Zebra Day (31st January) as shocking new figures reveal that British trophy hunters continue to kill zebras for sport and souvenirs.
Since the infamous killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, British hunters have shot at least 100 zebras—with hunting trips advertised online for as little as £960 for a two-day hunt.
Bragging about the kills
After the hunts, many trophy hunters take to the internet to boast about their kills. One wrote:
“The zebra spun around and expired. Very nice way to christen my new rifle!”
Another added:
“I took the shot and heard the bullet strike. I saw the zebra fall and roll downhill!”
Gary Numan: “It makes me feel sick”
Gary Numan, a passionate advocate for animal welfare, has joined campaigners in urging the UK government to fast-track a ban on the import of hunting trophies.
“With their distinctive black and white stripes, there is no denying the beauty of a zebra, and to see one is a true privilege,” said Gary.
“I don’t understand how anyone could see that natural beauty and then callously shoot the animal and watch it die. It makes me feel sick.
“Together with the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, I’m calling on the UK government to name a date for enacting the trophy hunting import ban.
“Time is running out for beautiful animals around the world, and let’s not let another International Zebra Day go by without the ban in place.”
“Never again”: calls to ban imports
Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said:
“This International Zebra Day is a chance to say ‘never again’ and put an end to these vile trophies being allowed to return to UK shores.
“The government has said that they will give time to enacting a ban, but while they drag their heels, more and more of these beautiful creatures will be killed in the name of sport.
“It is cruel and wrong, and the UK government has a chance to do something about it.”
A growing market for zebra hunts
Despite widespread condemnation, zebra hunting remains big business. British hunters bring back trophies, including skins, rugs, skulls, and body parts, with online marketplaces like BookYourHunt.com currently listing 431 zebra hunts for sale.
Hunting packages range from £960 for a two-day hunt to £150,000 for an 18-day hunt, which includes a zebra, lion, and buffalo.
The most popular species among British hunters is the mountain zebra, also known as Hartmann’s zebra, which is classed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). With fewer than 35,000 left, scientists fear climate change and hunting could push the species closer to extinction.
The royal connection: hunting and extinction
The British Royal Family has a grim connection to zebra hunting. In 1860, Prince Alfred—the 16-year-old Prince of Wales—took part in what has been called “the greatest slaughter in history.”
According to historian John Pringle, in The Conservationists and the Killers:
“The Prince fired as fast as guns could be handed to him… It became very exciting to see great beasts, larger than horses, rolling over from right to left, not ten paces from you.”
The Prince’s hunting party unknowingly killed the last wild quagga, a zebra-like species that was declared officially extinct in 1930.
Trophy hunting imports: the UK’s role
Despite public outrage, zebra hunting trophies continue to flood into the UK. Figures from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) show:
• Between 1988-1997, British hunters imported 44 zebra trophies.
• Between 1998-2007, the number rose to 111 trophies.
• Between 2008-2017, it increased again to 159 trophies.
• Since 2015, an estimated 102 zebra trophies have been imported into the UK.
Zebras are now the fifth most popular CITES-listed species targeted by British hunters, following African elephants, hippos, black bears, and leopards.
What campaigners want
The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting is demanding:
1. An immediate UK and international moratorium on zebra trophy imports and other CITES Appendix I and II species.
2. A suspension of zebra hunting worldwide until populations recover.
3. The closure of a legal loophole in CITES, which misleadingly classifies trophy hunting as “non-commercial,” allowing endangered species to be killed.
The fight to save zebras
All zebra species face mounting threats. Today, there are just 1,700 Cape mountain zebras, while the Grevy’s zebra is endangered, with fewer than 2,000 left.
The largest sub-population of the mountain zebra has only 5,000 individuals, and climate change is worsening their struggle for survival.
As International Zebra Day highlights the beauty of these animals, campaigners are urging the UK government to take decisive action before it’s too late.
TO SIGN THE PETITION TO BAN TROPHY HUNTER, VISIT: https://bantrophyhunting.org