Petting a Lion Cub is its Death Sentence, say March Organisers

The term ‘canned hunting’ probably leaves many people scratching their heads. But for the folks behind Campaign against Canned Hunting (CACH) – who are holding the Global March for Lions this Saturday in Johannesburg – it’s a deadly business.

The theme behind this year’s march, which will take place outside the Lion Park in Lanseria, is lion cubs. Canned Hunting’s hard-hitting slogan puts the message across in no uncertain terms: “Petted for Money, Killed for Profit.”

What they mean by that is that people who go into places like the Lion Park and other petting zoos and breeding facilities, and who make physical contact with lion cubs, are inadvertently contributing to the death by bullet of that same animal when he or she is an adult. Those animals become unable to fend for themselves in the wild, and land up being sent to canned-hunting facilities that let people come in and hunt a lion in a cordoned-off area.

A news report on CBS TV several months ago that focused mainly on the lion whisperer Kevin Richardson – who is a strong supporter of CACH – estimated that hunters pay anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 to shoot one of these canned lions. It also brought up the controversy of petting zoos, and the countless people who unwittingly support them and even work for them.

“We’re applying a lot of focus this year to the link between breeding lions, offering petting and ultimately the selling of those same lion cubs that tourists and volunteers pet and care for; the very cubs that people believe will be cared for for life and possibly released into a reserve to live out their days,” CACH’s Paul Tully told SAPeople.

“This is a common lie these breeding/petting facilities tell their volunteers.”

CACH has gone out of its way to publicise the iniquity of canned hunting, and people from around the world have shown their support. Last week a march for lions was held in Trafalgar Square in London. Also check out this animated short film created especially for children by Kelly Lamers.

“With the video, we’re approaching airlines, cinemas, indoor/outdoor events, anywhere with a screen to raise awareness,” said Tully. Download the animated short film here.

More Info

More on the Global March this Saturday, March 21, at http://on.fb.me/1B72cET.

Read more about CACH at www.cannedlion.org.