The most extreme form of trophy hunting is “Canned Hunting”. Most of the victims are lions, which are served to their hunters on a silver platter. These animals are born in captivity and are taken away from their mothers just hours after birth so that they can be used in petting zoos. When they come of age they spend the rest of their lives in caged compounds waiting to be released in a larger compound for the so called ‘canned’ hunt.
Anyone can go and hunt lions in South Africa – a hunting licence or proof of hunting experience isn’t usually necessary. The result is that many lions aren’t killed by the first shot and that they experience an agonising death. This is particularly often the case when hunters choose to shoot the lion with a bow and arrow.
Currently there are approximately 6000 lions in the country’s 200 breeding farms and neighbouring properties where they will be killed by trophy hunters. Please ask the South African President Jacob Zuma and the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa to oppose the powerful lobby of the lion breeders and to ban cruel Canned Hunting!
Honourable President, honourable Minister,
South Africa has been an attraction for tourist hunters from the USA and Europe for decades. Its concept, a grim reality. Young lion cubs are taken from their mothers at birth. They are then raised by hand and bred in captivity, as commodities, for the sole purpose of being targeted in an enclosed hunting ground, where they have no chance to evade their hunters. Often times they are drugged or even baited with food.
There are currently more than 6000 lions in 200 breeding farms across the country, and more than 1000 lions are hunted each year. Along with the hunters who participate in this barbaric ‘sport’, are tourists who are unknowingly, and misleadingly contributing to the Canned Hunting industry through their volunteerism at these breeding farms. Since the breeding farms don’t disclose the true reasons as to why they have the cubs, nor why there is a need to nurture them, these volunteers are essentially contributing to raising the cubs just so that they can be shot once they reach maturity.
I ask you to prohibit Canned Hunting in your country once and for all.
With kind regards,