A preliminary injunction request filed by the Exotic Wildlife Association and Safari Club International to postpone the enforcement of a rule issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the taking of three exotic antelope species was denied yesterday by Judge Beryl A. Howell.
The ruling means as of today, April 4, the taking of any addax, scimitar horned oryx or dama gazelle is prohibited without a permit issued by the USFWS.
In her ruling, Howell said, “The Court finds that neither SCI’s challenge to the 2005 Listing Decision, nor the EWA plaintiffs’ challenge to the 2012 Final Rule appears at this stage to have a likelihood of success on the merits. Nor have the plaintiffs carried their heavy burden of demonstrating irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, nor that the balance of equities tip in their favor.
“Finally, the plaintiffs have not carried their burden of showing that injunctive relief is truly in the public interest.”
Howell made the ruling in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
For a recap of the issue, click here.
Read a full report on the ruling in the next issue of Lone Star Outdoor News, available Friday, April 13.
