In a rather swift reaction to “Cecil the Lions” unfortunate (and illegal) demise, Delta, United, & American Airlines have all banned the cargo shipment of hunting trophies on their aircraft. The ban is largely symbolic as most big-game hunters are wealthy and either ship on their own aircraft, ships, or through cargo services.

Delta’s Statement:

Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight. 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.

While the statement specifically calls out certain large game, it does not address the legal hunting of smaller trophies such as Antelope, Gazelle, etc. United and American have not specifically updated their policies at this time on listed game, just issuing short statements and tweets on the topic.