SHUT DOWN LION RANCHES/CANNED LION HUNTING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA

  • by: Ruth McD
  • recipient: Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa

Canned hunting is the practice of hunting an animal in a confined space from which it cannot escape. It is one of South Africa’s most lucrative industries — in 2012 alone, it generated approximately R807 million in profits — and is perfectly legal in the country, despite what the South African government may protest. In a nutshell, hunters from around the globe (but more specifically, America) travel to South Africa and pay thousands of dollars to shoot a captive-bred lion for trophy — sometimes at a rate of $30,000 a pop, or more. How do they get away with doing this? Hunting and breeding propaganda would have you believe that canned and trophy hunting contributes to conservation because, as the hunter’s mentality stipulates, for every captive lion killed, a wild one is saved. This, of course, is wildly untrue and operates under the premise that hunters would be going out to shoot wild lions were they unable to shoot captive ones.

Canned hunting is so lucrative in South Africa not only due to the tourist industry — which offers hunters the opportunity to stay in five-star hunting lodges and bring home animal trophies — but also thanks to the lion-bone trade. The market in Asia for tiger and lion bone is of such high demand, that a lion breeder in South Africa can make up to R24000 for the skeleton of just one hunted lion; that’s approximately $1,900 U.S. dollars. Add those profits to the rough R300000 (approx. $24,000 U.S. dollars) a breeder can make from just one lion hunt alone, and you’ve got pretty heavy pockets. Everyday in South Africa, at least two to three captive-bred lions are killed in canned hunts. One is being hunted as you read this.

“Blood Lions,” a feature film created by Michler and his team of wildlife professionals, is a hard-hitting documentary which will quite literally blow the lid off of the canned hunting industry. Michler said, “I have been one of many people and organizations calling for an end to these practices for decades, but with little success as the numbers of predators in captivity have continued to grow. I had long believed that the only way these industries would be truly exposed was through a hard-hitting documentary – not a soft touch film, but one that was bold in its aims. That only came about when Pippa Hankinson, one of the film’s Producers, decided she wanted to make such a film. Two years later, a team of dedicated and professional participants have produced what we believe can be a tool for real change.” “Blood Lions” had its very successful premier in Durban on July 22nd, 2015.

Canned hunting is the practice of hunting an animal in a confined space from which it cannot escape. It is one of South Africa’s most lucrative industries — in 2012 alone, it generated approximately R807 million in profits — and is perfectly legal in the country, despite what the South African government may protest. In a nutshell, hunters from around the globe (but more specifically, America) travel to South Africa and pay thousands of dollars to shoot a captive-bred lion for trophy — sometimes at a rate of $30,000 a pop, or more. How do they get away with doing this? Hunting and breeding propaganda would have you believe that canned and trophy hunting contributes to conservation because, as the hunter’s mentality stipulates, for every captive lion killed, a wild one is saved. This, of course, is wildly untrue and operates under the premise that hunters would be going out to shoot wild lions were they unable to shoot captive ones.

Canned hunting is so lucrative in South Africa not only due to the tourist industry — which offers hunters the opportunity to stay in five-star hunting lodges and bring home animal trophies — but also thanks to the lion-bone trade. The market in Asia for tiger and lion bone is of such high demand, that a lion breeder in South Africa can make up to R24000 for the skeleton of just one hunted lion; that’s approximately $1,900 U.S. dollars. Add those profits to the rough R300000 (approx. $24,000 U.S. dollars) a breeder can make from just one lion hunt alone, and you’ve got pretty heavy pockets. Everyday in South Africa, at least two to three captive-bred lions are killed in canned hunts. One is being hunted as you read this.

“Blood Lions,” a feature film created by Michler and his team of wildlife professionals, is a hard-hitting documentary which will quite literally blow the lid off of the canned hunting industry. Michler said, “I have been one of many people and organizations calling for an end to these practices for decades, but with little success as the numbers of predators in captivity have continued to grow. I had long believed that the only way these industries would be truly exposed was through a hard-hitting documentary – not a soft touch film, but one that was bold in its aims. That only came about when Pippa Hankinson, one of the film’s Producers, decided she wanted to make such a film. Two years later, a team of dedicated and professional participants have produced what we believe can be a tool for real change.” “Blood Lions” had its very successful premier in Durban on July 22nd, 2015.


SHUT DOWN LION RANCHES/CANNED LION HUNTING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA


Sincerely,

Update #18 years ago
WE HAVE 3,352 SIGNATURES. GOAL IS 20,000. THANKS TO ALL OF SIGNING. PLEASE KEEP SHARING TO END CANNED LION HUNTING ONCE AND FOR ALL.
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