CITES Appendices | 2024

Page Updated: April 2024

Here is the current state of play with CITES appendices applicable for African game species with the additional USF&W (Endangered Species Act) categories, EU Annexes and Australian blanket import restrictions.

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It could be argued that that CITES is, to all intents and purpose, pretty irrelevant today when some countries independently go their own way and blanket ban imports of hunting trophies. CITES classifications are supposed to be based on globally shared and sound scientific study, not on emotional popular opinion based on often biased science.

African Elephant

• Information on the USF&W handling of African elephant trophy import 2024. So essentially ... "Under this final rule, African elephant range countries that export sport hunted African elephant trophies to the United States will now be required to provide the Service with an annual certification on the current management and status of their elephants and the hunting programs in their country. This information will highlight what African range countries are currently doing to conserve their elephants and will help inform decision-making on permit applications". Essentially, African elephant sport-hunted trophies may be imported into the United States provided:
  A) The trophy was legally taken in an African elephant range country that declared an ivory export quota to the CITES Secretariat for the year in which the trophy animal was killed;
  B) A determination is made that the killing of the trophy animal will enhance the survival of the species and the trophy is accompanied by a threatened species permit;
  C) The trophy is legibly marked in accordance with 50 CFR part 23;
  D) The requirements in 50 CFR parts 13, 14, and 23 have been met;
  E) No more than two African elephant sport-hunted trophies are imported by any hunter in a calendar year.
• Under EU regulation, elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are classified as Annex B. All other populations are Annex A. The EU has suspended import of all elephant hunting trophies from Cameroon, Mozambique and Zambia. In 2017 Tanzania had a partial reprieve from their suspension ... only a specific quota of trophy animals may be taken from the following 'ecosystems’,Serengeti, Tarangire-Manyara, Katavi-Rukwa and Selous-Mikumi, as long as quotas allocated do not exceed >0.3% of managed population. Only male elephants with tusks >20kg or 160cm in length.
• Australia considers all African elephant as CITES I and as such will not issue any import permits for any sport-hunted elephant trophy products.
• Canada banned all hunting trophy import of ivory (and rhino horn) from 1 January 2024.
• After Brexit, the UK will have different hunting trophy import regulations from the EU. These UK regulations look similar to Australia as they progress through the UK Parliament as the 'Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill 2023-24'. It involves a total ban of hunting trophies of all CITES I & II listed animals.
• France has a proposed import ban for all CITES-listed species which is proceeding in the National Assembly.
• Forest elephants, Loxodonta cylotis are included in the CITES data for the savannah elephant, Loxodonta africana so are classified as CITES I.

Cheetah

• USF&W consider the cheetah as 'Endangered' and will not permit cheetah trophies/products to be imported into the US from any African country.
• From 2019, the EU will allow the import quota of hunting trophies as follows: Botswana: 5, Namibia: 150, Zimbabwe, 50 as Annex A species.
• No cheetah trophies may be exported from South Africa.
• Although Botswana has a CITES quota of cheetah, these animals can not be hunted in Botswana.
• Australia considers cheetah as CITES I and will not issue a permit to import any cheetah trophy products.

African Leopard

• USF&W will not permit import of leopard trophies from countries where they consider the leopard 'Endangered' which includes Central African Republic and Ethiopia.
• Leopard populations from "countries south of and including Congo, Gabon, Uganda and Kenya" are considered as 'Threatened'. USF&W has never issued a permit for any leopard trophy from north and central Africa.
• US hunters must apply for a leopard import permit and may only import a leopard from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
• Australia considers African leopard as CITES I and will not issue a permit to import any leopard trophy products.

African Lion

• USF&W now consider lions divided into 2 subspecies - Panthera leo and Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita. All Panthera leo are classified as 'Endangered' wherever found. Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita are classified as 'Threatened' wherever found, which is in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• There is currently no declared hunting trophy quota - just 0 quota for commercial trade in wild lion parts from all countries.
• Hunting of lion is NOT permitted in Botswana or Zambia.
• CITES still considers all African lion populations as one species which are all CITES Appendix II.
• The EU does not permit the import of lion trophies from Ethiopia.
• As of 2015, Australia considers all African lion populations as CITES I and will not issue a permit to import any lion hunting trophy products.

Southern White Rhino

• There is no USF&W ESA listing for this subspecies - only northern white rhino is classified as 'Endangered'.
• There is no CITES hunting trophy quota for this animal in South Africa or Namibia.

Black Rhino

• There is a CITES declared hunting quota of 5 animals for Namibia. South Africa has yet to declare a quota for 2020.
• Only adult male black rhinos are eligible for CITES Appendix I import permit.
• USF&W deem all sub-Saharan black rhino to be 'Endangered'.

Hippopotamus

• USF&W cosidering ESA listing of the 'common hippopotamus' due to potential threats associated with habitat loss and degradation, etc.
• CITES will not allow hippo trophies to be exported from Mozambique.
• The EU will not allow hippo trophy imports from Cameroon or Mozambique.
• The EU extended its stricter domestic measures to the import of all hippo trophies. An import permit will be required that guarantees that the origin of the hippo trophy is 'legal and sustainable'. "The permit will only be delivered once the EU is convinced that the import meets criteria demonstrating that it is sustainable. If the criteria are not met, the import will be banned".

Bontebok

• USF&W consider the bontebok as 'Endangered' and require a special permit to import bontebok hunting trophies. Permit To Import Of Sport-Hunted Bontebok Trophies From South Africa

Blue Duiker

• The scientific name for this animal is Philantomba monticola but it is sometimes known as Cephalophus monticola. USF&W will not accept the latter as the scientific name on the CITES Appendix II export permit. Non-compliance could result in loss of the trophy.

Red Lechwe

• USF&W consider CITES II Kobus leche as 'Threatened' and as such needing an import permit. It is unclear from the use of the binomial name 'Kobus leche' for the Red Lechwe (Kobus leche leche) whether this classification applies to all the lechwe subspecies.

Guereza Colobus Monkey

• The EU does not allow the import of Guereza colobus monkey trophies from Ethiopia.

Brown Hyena

• USF&W uses the scientific name 'Parahyaena brunnea' and considers the brown hyena as 'Endangered' and will not permit brown hyena trophies/products to be imported into the US. The brown hyena is NOT classified in CITES appendices.

Black-Faced Impala

• USF&W consider the Black-Faced Impala of Namibia as Endangered and will not permit black-faced impala trophies/products to be imported into the US. The black-faced impala is not classified in the CITES appendices.

African Primates

• All monkeys and baboons are classified as CITES Appendix II.

Civet

• The African civet (Civettictis civetta) is a CITES Appendix III species in Botswana only, where it is not hunted anyway. All other civet populations are unclassified.

More On CITES And African Hunting

• CITES And African Trophies
• 2020 CITES Appendices & Quota for African Game Animals
• Download CITES And CDC Permit Applications

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