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We’re fierce defenders of wildlife in the United States, and we made major strides on that front in 2018. We won major victories for grizzly bears and black bears, defeated attempts to remove federal protections for gray wolves, helped shine a spotlight on cruel wildlife killing contests, and

During this past Election Day, which was filled with ups and downs for millions of Americans, we were watching closely for the results of Florida’s proposed Amendment 2. For months, we advocated strongly against the measure—and then it passed.

Update (12/4/2020): Following our letter, the Wisconsin DNR announced today that it will not open a wolf hunt in January 2021, potentially sparing the lives of hundreds of wolves. But the state still plans to open a wolf season in fall 2021, and other states may follow suit. We will continue our

Wolves in the Northern Rockies may warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week, largely because of extreme wolf-killing laws recently passed in Idaho and Montana. The agency’s decision comes in response to a legal petition the

In a victory for wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently denied two petitions filed by trophy hunting organizations aimed at removing federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Western Great Lakes region and reducing or removing protections for wolves in other areas of

More than thirty baby elephants, torn from their mothers in the wild in Zimbabwe almost a year ago, embarked on a new journey of captivity and suffering this week when they were flown to China, where they are expected to spend the rest of their lives in zoos or circuses. Humane Society International

Any time an animal is gunned down by a trophy hunter, ecosystems are disrupted, and families are torn apart—yet such killings happen all the time, across the country and throughout the world. So, it’s a particularly sad predicament that those of us who seek to protect wild animals from trophy

While the human world is marked by borders between territories and nations, the animal world in its natural state knows no such boundaries. Migratory animals—who travel thousands of miles on land, through sea, and in the air—not only play a crucial role in ecosystems, but are living, breathing

UPDATE (5/7/21): Despite overwhelming opposition from Idaho residents, professional wildlife biologists and managers and state fish and game commissioners, Gov. Brad Little signed S. 1211 into law on May 5. We urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to uphold its obligations to review and relist

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson It may be hard to believe that a group of celebrity and professional trophy hunters, a director of the National Rifle Association, and the president of the world’s largest trophy hunting group are advising our government on wildlife conservation. But that is exactly

Our Animal Protection Litigation team plays a critical role at the Humane Society of the United States, filing lawsuits and legal petitions to support our major campaigns, drafting language for state and federal animal protection bills and ballot measures, and defending animal protection laws once

The year 2019 was one of extraordinary gains for animals trapped in the cruel business of fur, for companion animals who are the victims of malicious cruelty, for wild animals at risk of extinction because of trophy hunting and the wildlife products trade, and for farm animals forced to spend their

Trophy hunting is a cruel and dangerous pastime that is pushing some of the world’s most iconic animals closer to extinction, and the Humane Society family of organizations has put our might behind stopping it. In the past four years we have encountered tremendous challenges under the Trump

Wild animals face a chilling multitude of threats. At a time when so many are vulnerable to the unprecedented impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and ongoing human encroachment on shrinking habitats, imperiled animals continue to be killed for nothing more than a trophy, a prize, a pelt or

Wyoming’s crusade to declare open season on grizzly bears hit an unprecedented low this week when Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law a statute that gives state officials the authority to open a trophy hunting season on grizzly bears and relocate bears to other states without federal authorization. The

The killing of Cecil the lion five years this week ago by an American trophy hunter in Zimbabwe triggered worldwide outrage. Father of a pride, lured with an elephant carcass, wounded by an arrow, he suffered for hours before being killed by gunshot. As it turned out, this was a shot heard around

Three years ago, the American public roared in outrage upon learning of the killing of a beloved lion, Cecil, by an American trophy hunter. As terrible as that killing was, it was also a watershed moment for animal welfare – one that created a global furor against this senseless “sport” that’s

Romania, which halted trophy hunting of its native carnivores in 2016, this week said it will allow the killing of 140 bears. The hunting quota was announced in response to reports of bear-human conflicts, with videos shared on social media showing people getting very close to wild bears to feed

For a few days now, Bruno the bear has been something of a celebrity around the world. Hundreds of people have flocked to catch a glimpse of this wandering bear who is reported to have walked to Missouri all the way from Wisconsin, journeying through Illinois and, briefly, Iowa, possibly in search