Ricky Gervais has condemned trophy hunting as 'one of the most pathetic and indefensible things human beings do' in an exclusive interview with The Mirror, joining celebrities Alan Cumming and Heather Mills to urge a 'final push' for a worldwide ban.
Celebrities Rally for Global Treaty
The comedian, known for The Office and After Life, backed a petition calling for the United Nations to adopt an Abolition Declaration against trophy hunting, which has already attracted thousands of signatures. Gervais stated: 'These animals aren't trophies. They aren't wall decorations. They aren't status symbols. They're living, feeling creatures with families, social bonds and a right to exist free from cruelty and exploitation.'
Alan Cumming added: 'Trophy hunting represents one of the most outdated and disturbing expressions of humanity's belief that we have the right to dominate the natural world. Wild animals are not targets, trophies or souvenirs.' Heather Mills said: 'No animal should lose its life so that someone can take home a photograph or hang a head on a wall.'
Political Pressure Mounts
The campaign follows repeated delays in delivering a ban on importing hunting trophies, despite a Labour manifesto promise. A series of trophy hunting Bills failed to become law due to lack of parliamentary time, including one derailed by pro-hunting peers in the House of Lords in 2023. The Bill passed the House of Commons unanimously twice, in 2023 and 2024, but ran out of time in the Lords and was further halted by the 2024 General Election.
Defra minister Mary Creagh reaffirmed the government's commitment to a ban late last year. A Defra spokesperson said: 'We have a strong track record of delivering for animal welfare and we remain firmly committed to introducing a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.'
Cecil the Lion Anniversary Sparks Urgency
Campaigners highlight the 11th anniversary of Cecil the Lion's death, which sparked global outrage in 2015. Eduardo Goncales, founder of The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, urged Mirror readers to write to their MPs and sign the petition. 'The Bill has already passed through the House of Commons unanimously not once, but twice, proving there is overwhelming cross-party support. Now, on the 11th anniversary of Cecil's death, we have another opportunity to finish what Parliament has already shown it wants to do,' he said.
Gervais concluded: 'Future generations will look back at trophy hunting in the same way we look back at bear baiting and other blood sports: with disbelief that anyone ever thought it was acceptable.'
