The Ugly Truth – Canned Lion Hunting

The Ugly Truth – Canned Lion Hunting

The Ugly Truth – Canned Lion Hunting – There is something particularly heinous about a man or a woman who pays thousands of dollars to fly to Africa – jump on a Land Rover – ride out to a designated, fenced area and delibarately shoot a relatively tame – often drugged lion – who must stand there waiting to die.

Chris Mercer Is On Holiday – In His Place A Special “Thank You” To Nikki Elliott For This Post

By Nikki Elliott – Cape Town

The lion has nowhere to go. In our human world – this would be called murder. Said big, brave killer than goes back home and brags about his “lion hunt”. Less than 5% of the approximately $200 million dollar trophy hunting industry actually goes to local economies.

1. Lionesses are turned into breeding machines – once spent, they go on the “kill list” for either trophy hunting or killed outright for the bone trade.

2. Cubs are torn away from their mothers soon after birth for cub-petting (also “rented out” to non-breeders that cash-in on their suffering);

3. Volunteers are attracted and pay an exorbitant fee for the “privilege” of caring for the “orphans” or purported lions to be released in the wild – they NEVER are – they are destined for canned hunting – a select few go to prison cells and the tents of torture for a lifetime of misery, i.e. zoos or circuses.

4. Female cubs are often killed, particularly where there has been in-breeding which causes defects – this is rife in the industry. Greed also dictates that lionesses are not desirable (read sufficiently profitable) as trophies.

5. Once too big for petting, the young lions will be used, or rented out for the “walk with lions” experience;

6. No longer suitable to “walk with”, sub-adults are crammed into overcrowded cages where they wait to die – mostly in atrocious conditions.

lions - not this
7. Once mature and attractive, trophy hunters move in to shoot them in small camps, where the lions have no means of escape. To make the “hunt” easier, the lions are often drugged before being killed.

8. Lastly, their heads will be cut off to mount on a wall, and the bones sold and shipped to the East for bogus aphrodisiacs and/or medicine – for “top dollar”!

This is the tragic reality for these majestic animals – the ugly truth – canned lion hunting – is a blight on the collective soul of humanity and those who engage in this revolting killing will be accountable at some time in their lives!

This brilliant Tee Shirt – designed by Sheila Wilson of Cape Town – will be used to promote the upcoming Lion March – being held in participating cities around the world on March 15, 2014