Canned lions: sanctuary or slaughter?

LION sanctuary or slaughter? That’s one of the biggest challenges facing the government as it works its way towards closing down the canned lion hunting industry.

Euthanasia of captive-bred animals would not be considered because of the reputational risk to South Africa as a premier wildlife destination and would cause “a major uproar”.

Voluntary exit options from the lucrative industry include proposals for the cats to be placed in existing sanctuaries or that the current breeding farms are turned into sanctuaries or “lion safe havens” because they already