Data / Federal rules / 2024-06417

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision to the Section 4(d) Rule for the African Elephant

The Fish and Wildlife Service published this final rule in the Federal Register on April 1, 2024. It took effect on May 1, 2024.

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What the agency says

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are revising the rule for the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) promulgated under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The purposes are threefold: To increase protection for African elephants in light of the recent rise in international trade of live African elephants by establishing ESA enhancement permit requirements for international trade in live elephants and specific enhancement requirements for the import of wild-sourced elephants, as well as requirements to ensure that all proposed recipients of live African elephants are suitably equipped to house and care for them; to clarify the existing enhancement requirement during our evaluation of an application for a permit to import African elephant sport-hunted trophies; and to incorporate a Party's designation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) National Legislation Project into the decision-making process for the import of live African elephants, African elephant sport-hunted trophies, and African elephant parts and products other than ivory and sport-hunted trophies. Amendments to the section 4(d) regulations in 2016 prohibited the import and export of African elephant ivory with limited exceptions. This final rule does not affect the regulations pertaining to African elephant ivory.

Key facts

Document number: 2024-06417
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
Published: April 1, 2024
Takes effect: May 1, 2024
Dates: This rule is effective May 1, 2024.
Docket: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099; FXIA16710900000-234-FF09A30000
Regulation ID (RIN): 1018-BG66
Code of Federal Regulations: 50 CFR 17
Topics: Endangered and threatened species; Exports; Imports; Plants; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Transportation; Wildlife
Significant: Yes, under Executive Order 12866
Pages: 34

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Everything from the Fish and Wildlife Service · Rules on endangered and threatened species · Rules on exports · Rules on imports · Published in April 2024

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.