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BRED TO BE
KILLED
Canned hunting sees hundreds
of captive lions killed every year.
Here’s how you can help the charity
Born Free to stop it
IN SOUTH AFRICA, more than 8,000 lions
and other predators are kept in breeding
facilities, where they are exploited for
profit at every stage of their lives.
Captive-bred lion cubs are taken from
their mothers at just a few days old. Paying
volunteers are then recruited to help hand-
rear the cubs under the false impression
they will eventually be released into the
wild. The mother and cub are separated
at such a young age to encourage the
mother to breed again and for the cub
to become used to human contact.
In stark contrast, a wild lion cub will be
nursed by its mother for up to six months.
Female cubs may stay with their pride for
life, while male cubs may leave their pride by
the age of three. But in South Africa’s captive
lion breeding industry, instead of being with
their pride, the cubs are cuddled for cash.
To u r i s t s w i l l p a y t o t a k e s e l fi e s w i t h t h e c u b s ,
and to walk with the lions when the animals
are older. When the lions are too old for these
activities, they may be used for breeding, too.