NEW YORK (AP) - Delta Air Lines had a major change of heart about shipping hunting trophies, announcing Monday afternoon that it would no longer accept lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies.
As recently as May, the Atlanta-based airline had said that it would continue to allow such shipments - as long as they were legal. At the time, some international carriers prohibited such cargo.
The move comes after an American dentist killed a well-known lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe last month in an allegedly illegal hunt, setting off a worldwide uproar. The dentist, Walter James Palmer, lives in Minnesota, which is a major hub for Delta.
Delta is the only U.S. airline to fly to Africa. Several foreign airlines announced similar bans last week.
Delta only issued a 58-word statement noting that prior to Monday's ban, "Delta's strict acceptance policy called for absolute compliance with all government regulations regarding protected species."