In 1975 there were an estimated 250,000 Lions on the continent of Africa. In 2014 the numbers of these gracefully majestic African lions, have plummeted down to an estimated 25,000 on the whole African continent, A loss of 225,000 in only 39 years.
The estimated 2,500 Lions that are left in the wild in South Africa does not include more than 8,000 Lions in captivity, being bred for the bullet or the arrow to satisfy the disgusting canned Lion hunting industry.
Also the destruction of their natural habitat is fast pushing them towards extinction. Where once upon a time, they roamed freely across the globe, today they are confined to few regions on the planet, mainly in parts of Africa.
The very fact that the estimated 25,000 African lions, are the only lions that exist today tells us how destructive human interaction, population growth, and commercial hunting activity can be!. If we do not want to lose these majestic animals, we need to educate people about such a crisis. We as humans cannot live selfishly.
For more than ten years, founders Chris Mercer and Bev Pervan of Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH) have laboured to raise awareness in civil society. Chris has travelled around SA and UK, talking on radio, providing articles to the media and using the internet to the best advantage.
For years they worked at a policy level, giving input to government on the TOPS (Threatened and Protected Species) regulations, but the hunting industry has been too strong.
It had become apparent that there is no chance of effecting change from within. CACH decided that the only way to stop the canned hunting industry is to cut off the sources of funding – all of which come from the developed world. Working with conservation and animal welfare orgs in U.S.A. and Europe, CACH is trying to get the status of lions raised to endangered in U.S.A and to get the import of lion trophies banned in the European Union. This would cut off about 90% of the industry’s income.
“And if we can educate volunteers to avoid supporting lion farmers posing as ‘wildlife sanctuaries’ then we can close this dreadful industry down” said Chris Mercer.
Lion trophy imports in to USA from 2007-2012
2007: 395
2008: 547
2009: 470
2010: 351
2011: 406
2012: 423
These numbers represent well over 2,500 dead lions in a period just 6 years. Oh, and more than 450 leopard trophies were also imported by USA in the same period. And leopards are Appendix 1 of CITES.
For more information about Canned Lion Hunting you can visit the Campaign Against Canned Hunting web site by clicking on the their logo below.
Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation