SOS FOR LIONS! STOP (IN)BREEDING, STOP (CANNED) HUNTING, STOP ABUSE!

There are more lions in captivity than there are in the wild, as they are now on the brick of extinction and we have to save them now. The decline of lions have been of 150 000 to max 20 000 in 10 years time in the whole of Africa. In India the Asiatic lion is critically endangered too. Still the lion is hunted, mostly for fun in the so-called trophy hunting which destroys all healthy populations of lions by killing their important males, but also, since the tiger is so very endangered, lion bones are a substitute and they are now also being sold for Chinese medicine.

In captivity the situation for the average lion isn't much better. It is in fact very tragic. Breeding with lions is NOT necessary at all. There are enough lions in captivity as we speak, and lots of them are waiting in vain for a better life, most of them are being put asleep (older lions, but also cubs right after birth) or waiting for a horrible dead in the (canned) hunting business where people pay lots of money just to shoot a tame lion for fun and after that pose proudly with it. When they take with them the trophy they want (usually the head), the remaining bones are being sold to China again to end up in medicine. So those lionfarms make lots of money out of breeding with lions as they:

A. Abuse innocent lioncubs to have them cuddled against money by tourists and volunteers (sometimes at another place who raise the cubs for them)

B. Sell adult (male) lions to hunting facilities, or let people pay bigtime to come over and have the lion shot at their own farm

C. Sell the remaining bones to be used in Chinese medicine.

Don't believe the (SA) lionfarms or even not the zoos worldwide that they have to keep on breeding lions to save them in the wild. The lions are not released back into the wild, and no reason to do so (yet) as the wild lions even have a very hard time to survive there. In SA they take the lioncubs away from their mother right away, often telling the mother is not fit to raise them or that they don't have enough space to keep them separate from the rest of the Pride. The true fact is that they just want to make big money with these cubs by having tourists and volunteers (usually from overseas) pay to cuddle them and help raise them. Never trust any project, business or farm where you can cuddle lioncubs, as even if they are raising cubs for someone else (usually a breeder with canned hunting connections) they support these farms to continue breeding and keep hunting facilities. There's no good word and no excuse for this. If you really love lions, or animals in general, you just don't support this. So please never get yourself into cuddling with lioncubs, however tempting, and however genuine the place will look to you. Don't support this way of earning money by businesses over the backs of innocent lions.

And even though SA is one of the worst countries as it comes to cuddling (for money), hunting, trading and abusing lions, all for the money, don't forget that the rest of the world is very bad too. In U.S.A. the trade in lions is flourishing, even to keep lions as a pet is possible, where the lions usually end up in someone's backyard, de-clawed, canines drawn, and with insufficient space, food and medical care. In lots of zoos, like the East- European zoos, there's a lot of abuse to lions, they are being kept captive in horrible situations. In Alexendria Zoo in Egypt a lioness died last week, because she wasn't fed properly. And these are no exceptions to the rule. Closer to home in Amsterdam Zoo (Artis) they recently put asleep a healthy male lioncub right after birth, the female cub was allowed to live because she can be used for breeding purposes. Not long after the same lioness gave birth to another cub, female so it could live. It is horrible how all these so-called animal friendly places have the power to judge over life and dead of animals - animals they are responsible for.

Then we have Berlin Zoo, Germany. They keep on in-breeding with their lions (brother-sister), even when they are clearly having birth-defects. Out of 9 cubs only 1 male cub did survive and was sent to a zoo in Nicaragua where they don't have the means to feed the lion and are looking for sponsors. Lots of cubs of this zoo ended up dead because the gate to an un-related male was "incidentally" left open and the cubs got killed. This is also a way to get rid of your surplus lions. The second surviving lion was put asleep because of difficulties with his legs, caused by the in-breeding. Of course the zoo won't stop (in)breeding and will continue these activities of clear abuse.

Also (surplus) lions from lots of Western zoos and circus end up in the canned hunting industry, or are put asleep and their bones are being sold. The only truth about lions in captivity. Mind you there are lots of facilities who do genuinely care for their lions and keep them well, but breeding is not necessary. If a facility likes to have lions in the collection then we suggest to offer a better home and welfare to the already captive born lions. STOP BREEDING LIONS!

DONATIONS/FUNDS NEEDED TO SAVE TWO MALE LIONCUBS FROM A CANNED HUNTING FACILITY

There are 2 male lioncubs at this moment being raised and waiting to be returned to the canned hunting business. Of course it is just 2 of all lions that are tragically being killed in this horrible business, but even if we cannot save all lions and stop all hunting at once, it is at least a way to show we can all cooperate and show goodwill to give a great life to these 2 male lions. We will stop them being cuddled, and when they are gorgeous maned adult males they will safely live at our project on a huge piece of land, with sufficient food and medical care. They will be the ambassadors to all lions that suffer in captivity or are being raised to be killed in canned hunting. Please help us to save these poor cubs?

If you want to donate please transfer a donation to:

Bank accountno. 54.20.87.081, ABN AMRO Bank NV, Bussum/Netherlands
B.M.A. De Jonge
Bussum/Netherlands
BIC code: ABNANL2A
IBAN code: NL44ABNA0542087081
Referance: save the lion cubs/Wild Cats World

Pay Pal :

info@wildcatsmagazine.nl

"Please all read and watch this" - thanks we are really going to fight this!!
http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=1917

http://www.wag.co.za/cannedhunting/articles/canned_lion_hunting.htm