NGOs have launched an awareness campaign calling for an end to the commercial captive lion industry in South Africa, ahead of World Lion Day on August 10.
According to a joint press release from the four NGOs, the Youre killing them softly campaign seeks to bring awareness to the fact that any visitor or volunteer paying to play, bottle feed, and/or hand-raise captive-bred predator cubs, use them as photo props, or merely visit predator parks, is fuelling South Africas cruel commercial captive predator-breeding industry.
The group of NGOs includes Blood Lions, FOUR PAWS South Africa, Humane Society International-Africa and Voice4Lions.
However well intentioned peoples actions are, these cubs are not orphans, they have no conservation value, they are purely bred to feed an unethical and insidious industry that commodifies these predators, the group stated.
The group highlighted unethical practices such as cub petting, walking with predators, canned hunting, live trade and trade in bones, parts and derivatives.
