"White House Says Elephant Trophy Decision Not Yet Finalized"

"The White House on Thursday said it had not yet finalized a decision to allow trophy hunters who kill elephants in two African countries to bring the endangered animals home as trophies, a move that had outraged U.S. conservation groups.

The planned move, disclosed this week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had triggered protests from conservation groups and a frenzy on social media. Opponents posted pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric, who are avid hunters, posing with the cut-off tail of a slain elephant and other dead wild animals on Twitter.

'There hasn’t been an announcement that’s been finalized on this front,' White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters when asked about the reported policy shift on Thursday. 'Until that’s done I wouldn’t consider anything final.'"

Scott Malone reports for Reuters November 16, 2017.