Trials & Litigation

Rhino hunter and US clubs sue Delta Airlines over transport ban on big-game trophies

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Rhino

Image by Shutterstock.

Delta Airlines is facing a federal lawsuit over a ban it imposed on transporting big-game trophies in the wake of an international controversy over the hunting death of an African lion that was attributed to a Minnesota dentist.

Although other airlines imposed similar bans, Delta has the best flight to Johannesburg. Apparently the airline was targeted for that reason by rhino hunter Corey Knowlton, who lives in Texas, and safari clubs in Dallas and Houston, according to the Dallas Morning News and Reuters.

Their lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Dallas. It seeks a court order requiring the airline to stop what the suit calls an “unlawful embargo” that violates federal common law and its operating certificate, as well as damages and attorney’s fees.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “If US were to prosecute over Cecil the lion’s slaying in Africa, what would legal basis be?”

New York Times (reg. req.): “After Killing of Cecil the Lion, Delta Joins Airline Ban on Game Trophies”

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