Lions Should be Protected by Endangered Species Laws

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it will consider adding African lions to the endangered-species list, a move that organizations seeking the listing say would help reverse the decline of the species. By Erika BolstadMcClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that it will consider adding African lions to the endangered-species list, a move that organizations seeking the listing say would help reverse the decline of the species.

If the government decides lions warrant a threatened or endangered listing, it would be largely symbolic. But lions are a powerful worldwide symbol of Africa, and adding them to the U.S. list would make it even more difficult to import hides or t