"Many of the permits were issued to those with ties to Republicans and a major trophy hunting group."
"The federal government has issued more than three dozen permits allowing hunters to import lion trophies from two African nations since 2016, according to copies of the applications obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The documents, obtained by the group Friends of Animals, provide insight into the often secretive permitting process to import threatened or endangered species killed abroad during luxury hunting trips. Thirty-three Americans were issued permits to import 38 lion trophies between 2016 and 2018, at least half of whom have donated to Republican lawmakers or are affiliated with the hunting lobby Safari Club International.
It’s unclear how many permit applications are currently before the agency or how many were issued in past years. The Fish and Wildlife Service did not respond to a request for comment."
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