Submitted Electronically via eRulemaking Portal

To: THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR on the mattter of the PETITION TO LIST THE AFRICAN LION (Panthera leo leo) AS ENDANGERED PURSUANT TO THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT I concur with the petition findings. It is nesscary to take action for the protection of the African Lion. My comment is as stated in Section V. Conclusion of the petition: "The iconic African lion is in danger of extinction if current trends are not reversed and if action is not taken now. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of African lions and their parts including hunting trophies and for commercial purposes such as the lion skin or claw trade. With this in mind, the U.S. must play a leading role in the effort to save the African lion. Listing the subspecies as Endangered under the ESA is a significant and necessary step toward controlling unsustainable exploitation of the subspecies by Americans, and toward bringing this crisis to the attention of the global conservation community." Regards, Ms. Judith A. Traub Auburn HIlls, Michigan