Connecticut is the first state poised to ban the importation, sale, possession, and transportation of Africa's Big Five.

The Stamford Advocate reports that the State Senate by a vote of 32-4 is trying to make the sale of elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and giraffes and their body parts illegal in Connecticut. State bill SB20 will now be sent to the House of Representatives for a vote.

General view of an elephant
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Opponents of the bill like the Sportsmen Alliance say that any violation of the proposed new law would be considered a felony and subject to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for up to 2 years which they claim is absurd. Because Big Game hunting is big business in Africa, limiting or making it illegal could eventually affect the African economy.

While many proponents of trophy hunting claim it provides valued revenue which African countries depend on for wildlife conservation, the website, theconservation.com. strongly disagrees saying it only makes up a small percentage of tourism revenue. Does big trophy hunting hurt or help big game conservation efforts? Check out the video.

Backers of State Bill SB20 will tell you that placing a price tag on these endangered African wild animals confuses the issue of whether these animals should be protected at all which is disadvantageous to their actual preservation.

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