Tell Arizona Restaurant to Stop Selling "Exotic" Meat Tacos
- by: Animal Connection
- recipient: Bryan Mazon, owner of Boca Tacos y Tequila
A Tucson, Arizona, restaurant owner has decided that the best way to drum up business for his taco stand is to serve lion meat.
Bryan Mazon, owner of Boca Tacos y Tequila, started featuring what he calls Exotic Taco Wednesdays, during which he serves up turtle, kangaroo, alligator, python, and other exotic animals.
As appalling as this idea is, it gets worse: Those tacos may include someone's former "pet." Lion meat in the U.S. comes from lions who have spent their lives in backyard cages, zoos, pseudo-sanctuaries, roadside menageries, and circuses. When the novelty of keeping them wears off or when zoos need to make room for cute new babies, lions are sold at auction, where they may be purchased by slaughterhouses or canned hunting ranches.
Mazon says he has heard from protesters and people who want to know if serving meat from exotic animals is legal. Unfortunately, it is.
Please take a second to tell Boca Tacos y Tequila that although it may be legal for a business to sell this type of "exotic" meat, there are other more humane ways to gain attention for this restaurant.
You can also send a message to: eatboca@hotmail.com Please keep messages polite. Thank You.
**UPDATE**
VICTORY!!!!
Public Announcement from Boca:
"Due to concern for safety of our families, customers, vendors, and friends we will not be selling African Lion Tacos on Feb. 16th, 2011. We will continue to bring unique and creative menu items, but not at the expense of safety.
Pre-orders will be fully refunded at the restaurant or by calling (520) 777-8134. Thanks for your support."
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BOCA/120107378006237#!/pages/BOCA/120107378006237
The lions whose meat you use come from backyard cages, zoos, pseudo-sanctuaries, roadside menageries, and circuses. When the novelty of keeping these animals wears off, the lions are sold at auction, where they may be purchased by slaughterhouses or canned hunting ranches. By selling their meat you are supporting their continued suffering.
While you may think that farm-raised lions do not impact the animals in the wild, that's far from true. According to the African Wildlife Federation, the big cats number fewer than 50,000 these days, down from 100,000 just two decades ago. Farm-raising the animals here in the U.S. can make lion populations in Africa dwindle even more. When animals such as lions, tigers, and bears are farmed for meat and other body parts, it creates a demand for those products. That demand makes it easier for poachers to slip their illegal products into the market, keeping them in the business of killing wildlife. Do you really want to associate your business with the illegal practices of poaching?
There is no need to serve lion meat when there are so many other options available that are more humane and don't pose a threat to wildlife (including many fantastic vegetarian dishes from South Africa).
We strongly urge you to immediately remove lion meat, and other "exotic" meat from your menu and support sustainable, humane dining instead.
Thank You.
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