3 Major Airlines Say No To Shipping Exotic Animal Heads

<p> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cecil_the_lion_at_Hwange_National_Park_(4516560206).jpg"><em>Wikimedia Commons/Daughter#3</em></a><span></span> </p>
<p> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cecil_the_lion_at_Hwange_National_Park_(4516560206).jpg"><em>Wikimedia Commons/Daughter#3</em></a><span></span> </p>

Major U.S. airlines have announced bans on transporting big-game "trophies" after the uproar over the senseless killing of Cecil the lion.

Wikimedia Commons/Daughter#3

American Airlines and United have now joined Delta in declaring they won't allow remains of the "big five" species - lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros or buffalo - on their flights.

"Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight," Delta said in a statement released Monday. American Airlines announced its new policy on Twitter late Monday night.

United told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the airline doesn't ship the "big five" species and "hasn't done so previously."

When asked why they decided to ban the "trophies," a United spokesman said "it made sense to do so."

No official reasoning has been given for the bans, but the airlines were the subject of a petition started by the The Humane Society of the United States. Virgin Airways and KLM already have bans in place.

You can sign the HSI petition telling the airlines to stop shipping "trophies" here.

Humane Society International's list of airlines they are asking to join the ban on transporting trophies is changing hourly, but as of 1:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, they've told The Dodo that these are the airlines they're pushing to add a ban:

Air Algérie
Air Berlin
Air Canada
Air China
Alaska Airlines
Alitalia
Austrian Airlines
DHL
Egyptair
Fed Ex
Japan Airlines
Kenya Airways
Korean Airlines
Kuwait Airways
Malaysia Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
South African Airways
South African Express airways
Swiss International Air Lines
THY - Turkish Airlines
UPS
Vietnam Airlines
Check out The Dodo's full coverage of Cecil the lion here. Related Stories:Cecil's Death Inspires His Country To Crack Down On Hunters
Here Are 4 Ways You Can Actually Help Lions Like Cecil
The Last Video I Ever Took Of Cecil The Lion

Check out The Dodo's full coverage of Cecil the lion here.

Related Stories:

Cecil's Death Inspires His Country To Crack Down On Hunters

Here Are 4 Ways You Can Actually Help Lions Like Cecil

The Last Video I Ever Took Of Cecil The Lion