Wildlife advocacy groups seeking Endangered Species Act protections for the hippopotamus sued the Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday for missing a decision deadline.
Citing continued federal agency inaction 18 months after the passing of an apparent March 2023 deadline, the Center for Biological Diversity and three allied organizations filed suit in a bid to compel a decision.
“Hippos are disappearing from Africa’s freshwater ecosystems, and lagging action from U.S. wildlife officials isn’t helping. These chunky icons belong in the water, not carved up for fashion, knickknacks or trophies for U.S. consumers,” Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
The center joined with Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund in submitting a March 2022 petition on the hippo’s behalf to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The petition asked that the lumbering animal be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
