Unfortunately, many of the places that has volunteer-programs also breed and sell lions.
Ask yourself; if a park has 10+ cubs every year - where do they all go when they grow up?
Many of these lions ends up in zoo`s, other breeding farms, or even places that offers hunting. There are also places that sells lion bones to Asia.
Even if the hunting of lions and selling bones is legal in Africa - does it make it ok? Would you support a place like this?
Just imagine that the lion you spent so much time with and love so much ends up as medicine in Asia....
Between 2007-2012;
- 86 live lions were exported from South Africa that went to circuses.
- 292 live lions were exported from South Africa that went to zoos.
- 3271 lion-hunting trophies were exported from South Africa.
Take a minute for that enormous figure to sink in. 3271. In 6 years. 3271 CAPTIVE-BRED LIONS were SHOT in South Africa and their bodies were exported as hunting trophies.
How many captive-bred lions were released back into the wild?
0 - NOT A SINGLE ONE!
If you`re thinking about volunteering at a place that claims to release the lions, maybe you should do some more research!
Please have a look at these videos before you choose where to volunteer!
The con in conservation - part 1
Bred to be shot.
There are some questions you should ask, and your project should be able to answer;
- are they breeding lions?
- are the cubs taken from their moms? If so, why?
- what happens when the lions are to big to handle?
- are they doing anything for conservation?
- what is the goal of the project?
Don`t believe everything you hear - I did, and it ended up not being the truth. Everyday I`m scared that the lions I love so much will end up being shot!
For more informaton visit cannedlion.org
