Parliament screens explosive trophy hunting film as MPs rally to back import ban

The shocking realities of British trophy hunting were laid bare in Westminster on Monday night, as MPs attended a special Parliamentary screening of Britain’s Trophy Hunters, a powerful new documentary aiming to galvanise support for a long-promised ban on hunting trophy imports.

Held in the Jubilee Room at the Houses of Parliament, the screening drew a cross-party audience including MPs Seamus Logan and John Lamont.

Organisers now plan to roll out further viewings for Parliamentarians in the coming months in a bid to build momentum behind the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting's call for urgent legislative action.

Narrated by Downton Abbey star and animal welfare campaigner Peter Egan, Britain’s Trophy Hunters reveals never-before-seen undercover footage, exposing the disturbing world of British trophy hunters who travel abroad to kill lions, elephants, zebras, and other endangered animals, often posing gleefully for photos with their victims.

In the harrowing footage viewers witness British hunters shooting animals, and undercover journalists visit hunting estates, taxidermy workshops and trophy rooms.

The documentary, produced by Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, pulls no punches in revealing the grotesque thrill some hunters take from ending the lives of iconic species.

Eduardo, who presented the film to MPs, said: "This documentary lifts the lid on the murky and macabre world of British trophy hunters, people who pay thousands to kill the world’s most endangered animals, and then pose with their corpses as if they’ve won a prize. It’s stomach-turning. This is not conservation, it’s cruelty disguised as sport."

He added: "With the government still dragging its feet on the long-promised import ban, this film will serve as a vital wake-up call. It underpins everything our campaign is fighting for, and lays bare the urgent need for action."

Britain’s Trophy Hunters complements a trilogy of new books released by Gonçalves to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Cecil the Lion, a moment that sparked global outrage. The books, with forewords by Priscilla Presley, Chris Packham and Dr Jane Goodall, expose both British and international trophy hunters by name and reveal the workings of the billion-dollar industry that facilitates the killing of thousands of animals every year.

The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting is now urging MPs to throw their weight behind proposed legislation to stop hunters bringing home the body parts of animals shot abroad.

More screenings of the film are set to follow as campaigners ramp up pressure on the government to act before the next general election.

To find out more about the campaign go to www.bantrophyhunting.org