Why Are We Marching For Lions?
- At February 02, 2014
- By Rosemary Wright
- In My Column
- 1
Why Are We Marching For Lions?
Global Lion March – March 15, 2014
Roar For A Cause – Ban Canned Lion Hunting
Why Are We Marching For Lions? In 34 cities around the world – we are standing up for them because – lions are in trouble. Their numbers are dwindling in every country where they still roam in the wild.
The Message Is Simple – The Call To Action:
In Canada and The USA is to ask the South Afrcian Government to ban lion farming for the canned hunting industry.
In the USA ask the US Fish and Wildlife to raise the status of lions to “endangered”.
Trophy hunting – human – animal conflict – loss of habitat and human over-population in rural areas are eroding the ability of lions to thrive in the wild. So many of the wild lions have been shot by trophy hags – that captive lions are now bred on farms to feed the blood lust of foreign animal killers.
It is estimated that in South Africa there are only 2743 WILD lions in game reserves and about 8000 on DEATH ROW CANNED LION FARMS – just waiting to be shot. Of course unscrupulous men and women – who see themselves as true hunters still want to “bag the wild pride male”. Once he has been killed the pride goes throught a turbulent re-structuring and the cubs of the former pride male may be killed by the new leader so he can exert his dominance over the females.
Fot those involved in this sordid business – decreasing lion populations are not a problem when you can visit lion farms. Cub petting and lion walks provide income for the lion farmers (they often make themselves out to be sanctuaries to unsuspecting and ill-informed tourists) when the lions are young. At about 3 years of age the big cats are deemed to be “huntable”. They live their sad lives in cages or pens – often malnourished and neglected – until a rich person comes along along and drops twenty or thirty thousand dollars on the table for “the kill”.
A lion is then selected from “death row” (often drugged) and killed in an enclosed area – where it has no hope of defending itself or of escaping. Weapons of choice – guns and bows. The head is shipped to the country of the “hunter” and the skin and bones are sent to China to feed the insatiable Asian need and greed for the traditional medicine and lion bone wine industries.
A sad end to what should have been a glorious life. It is a henious industry driven by human greed, cowardice, government corruption, ignorance and lack of concern for one of the most majestic creatures anywhere in the world.
This is a human problem and it can only be fixed by peope who care and are willing to stand up and say – “this must stop”.
People Can Contribute In Such Simple Ways – You Don’t Even Need To Leave Your Computer To HELP!
1) SPREAD the word about only promoting/visiting “ethical” tourist destinations in South Africa. Talk to friends and family.
2) NEVER indulge in cub petting or lion walks or lion/human interaction.
3) NEVER bottle feed lion cubs in any facility.
4) EDUCATE tour operators and travel agents. Ask the hard questions when making travel plans!
5) The South African Government may ignore petitions – but sign them anyway and sign every petition you see to demand that the EU and the USA ban the import of lion trophies. There is also a growing voice for animal advocacy in Asia – so let these governments know that you are aware of their contribution to the rapidly shrinking numberof lions in the wild and the heinous lion farm business.
That is why we are organizing and standing up for these cats – in 14 countries and 34 cities – in a Global Lion March on March 15, 2014. Throughout history and around the world – animals have never had a voice – they have no rights and very little protection. Humans kill animals of every kind by the billions every year. We consume them as food – we use their body parts to adorn ourselves – we entertain ourselve with them – and they suffer for our amusement. We force them to fight one another – we hunt them to prove how powerful we are – we batter and bludgeon and torture them.
But “times they are a chaigin” – and there is a groundswell of compassion and caring growing all over the world. What was once a whisper has become a roar and the cowards know we are coming for them. People are no longer shy about declaring that they are are an animal activist – a vegetarian or an advocate for wild or domestic animals.
Kindness is no longer seen as weakness. I – for one – am proud to say that I am standing up for what is right for animals and I feel that it is an honour to stand with animal advocates from all over the world to declare that the “Canned Lion Hunting Industry” must be banned. As humans – let us prove that we are better than this – that we have more character and integrity than to suport a business model built on cruelty – cowardice and greed.
PLEASE – Get Involved
Main Link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-March-for-Lions/224817361029223?ref=ts&fref=ts
ASIA
Hong Kong
https://www.facebook.com/events/268137030004548/
AUSTRALIA
Adelaide
https://www.facebook.com/events/496273517154615/?source=1
Melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/events/734997343178806/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Perth, WA
https://www.facebook.com/events/169787546565006/
Sydney
https://www.facebook.com/events/613649062033293/?source=1
BELGIUM
Brussels
https://www.facebook.com/events/449617725142958/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&source=1
Also – https://www.facebook.com/events/238689319624678/
BRAZIL
Sau Paulo
https://www.facebook.com/events/408594329244368/?source=1
CANADA
Toronto
https://www.facebook.com/events/1414771305431155/?source=1
Vancouver BC
https://www.facebook.com/events/235061229995930/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
GERMANY
Frankfurt
https://www.facebook.com/events/668604263192464/?ref=ts&fref=ts
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
https://www.facebook.com/events/412057092261003/?ref=ts&fref=ts
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv & Jerusalem
https://www.facebook.com/events/186019864937275/?source=1
KENYA
Mombasa
https://www.facebook.com/events/1444481285771708/?ref=ts&fref=ts
NEW ZEALAND
Wellington
https://www.facebook.com/events/651433918232791/?ref=ts&fref=ts
SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town
https://www.facebook.com/events/432960136805903/?source=1
Durban
https://www.facebook.com/events/492598160855304/
East London, South Africa
https://www.facebook.com/events/709053055794239/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Grahamstown
https://www.facebook.com/events/1378815795701408/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=calendar&source=1
Hoedspruit
https://ww.facebook.com/events/612461858817088/?source=1
Johannesburg
https://www.facebook.com/events/1442385619316696/?source=1
Pietermaritzburg
https://www.facebook.com/events/344109765730975/
Port Elizabeth
https://www.facebook.com/events/258373927652024/?source=1
https://www.facebook.com/events/495830440533246/?ref=ts&fref=ts
SWEDEN
Stockholm
https://www.facebook.com/events/691574647540891/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
UGANDA
Kampala
https://www.facebook.com/events/220975788082900/
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Dubai
https://www.facebook.com/events/1401755526741341/?ref=ts&fref=ts
UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham
https://www.facebook.com/events/248622171968479/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Edinburgh
https://www.facebook.com/events/1390645131187321/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
London
https://www.facebook.com/events/434452360015357/?source=1
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Austin, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/events/189255317934557/?source=1
Chicago
https://www.facebook.com/events/609456769126825/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Las Vegas
https://www.facebook.com/events/1415618815343371/
Los Angeles
https://www.facebook.com/events/205630696290197/?source=1
New York
https://www.facebook.com/events/234671106707328/?source=1
Tampa, Florida
https://www.facebook.com/events/638012792909115/?source=1
Washington DC
https://www.facebook.com/events/248680125313773/?ref=22
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