Do you know who thinks hunting African lions is a good idea? The Obama administration, that's who...

With all the talk over the death of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, here are a few facts to keep in mind.

For starters, the African lion is not yet covered by the Endangered Species Act. However, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service did propose in October 2014 that it be added to the list due to “habitat loss, loss of prey and increased human-lion conflicts.”

Activists took to Twitter earlier this year in an effort to raise awareness and get lions on the list, but there’s been no final decision yet as far as we can tell:

LIONS SHOULD BE RECOGNISED AS ENDANGERED.. U can help! See attached.. http://t.co/DeW7ZikTqF

— The Big Cat Sanctuary (@TheBigCatSanct) January 7, 2015

https://twitter.com/wanyamapori/status/552685315438030848

But also in that proposal on lions from October is a specific provision “to allow for the importation of sport-hunted lion trophies from countries with established conservation programs and well-managed lion populations.”

In other words, the hunting of lion in Africa is a good thing, as the USFWS explained in this FAQ:

And the USFW determined that “sport-hunting was not found to be a threat to the species at this time.”

The USFWS is a division of the Department of the Interior, which is run by Obama appointee Sally Jewell.

So, why is the outraged mob not mad at team Obama over the hunting of lions? Or are we just going to ignore these facts as there are calls for the dentist to be executed over Cecil’s death?

Death penalty for the hunter who killed Cecil. Seems reasonable. Lion's species is endangered. Human's species isn't. http://t.co/fuY69WHcvP

— Dennis Scimeca (@DennisScimeca) July 29, 2015

Do you know who thinks hunting African lions is a good idea? The Obama administration, that's who...

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