Because I think the cash strapped governments, clamoring to rise out of their own economic funks would do anything to ease their hardships. Easy prey for rich American hunters, who will pay top dollar to bag an emblem which they perhaps, see as an symbol only of their wealth and machismo. Another thing is, this isn't about the African countries any more than the salvaging of endangered species in America is about America. It is about biodiversity and an attempt at saving Earth the way we found it. And lastly killing a lion is much, much different than killing a rabbit.
Rabbits breed well in captivity.
Lions on the other hand need vast territories with little lion vs lion competition. Couple that with human encroachment, there will be little viable land for crucial genetic diversity in the future. The same of course is true for thousands of species all over the world. Like this really impacts us in either Europe or the Americas when 3 hunters each go kill one of the trophy lions. April 29 Greyscale, I guess you really deserve your president.