LionAid 2025 Synthesis of Wild Lion Numbers

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LionAid have produced “A 2025 Assessment of wild lion numbers in Africa“- a comprehensive compilation of wild lion populations (based on available data) remaining in Africa. The LionAid report makes for alarming reading: “A total of just 13,014 lions remain in eastern and southern Africa and 342 in western and central …

Cecil – 10 Year Anniversary

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This July marks ten years on from Cecil the lion’s killing by Walter Palmer. The hunting industry still panders to the trophy hunters’ willingness to pay handsomely to enjoy ‘legally’ (though all those implicated are morally and ethically bankrupt) killing animals. Trophy hunters enjoy killing animals, otherwise they wouldn’t do …

Identical ‘Cecil’ Killing of Another Hwange Lion, Mopane

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A lion called Mopane was shot by a bowhunter on 5 August 2021 on a hunting concession bordering the unfenced Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. He was 12 years old and a breeding pride male. Original story, “Trophy hunters kill another breeding Hwange lion – Mopane,” Africa Geographic, 13 August …

Trophy Hunting is a Major Threat to Lions – Interpretive Bias

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By Jared Kukura, Wild Things Initiative,  6 December 2020 Once again, a scientific paper is presented in a way to disparage critics of the trophy hunting community despite its shortcomings and potentially contradictory interpretations. The Threat Analysis for More Effective Lion Conservation attempted to provide a framework for defining issues plaguing lions which …

Submission to South Africa’s High-Level Panel – elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros

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Banner Image courtesy of Mark Boulton – “Lewa Conservancy, Kenya” – Elsa Trust and Elsamere IWB’s Submission to the HLP, Dated 11 June 2020 IWB’s Response to HLP Questions Received, Dated 21 October 2020 The Republic of South Africa, Department: Environmental affairs has issued a “A general notice calling for submissions, …

Trophy Hunting, Part One: The nasty colonial sport of shooting wild animals

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Banner Image – A male white lion, part of a rare white lion pack, in the wild in South Africa. (PHOTO: EPA/LIESL EICHENBER) Op-Ed by Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick, 25 April 2019 Trophy hunting has historically been the preserve of colonial, white males. The only thing that has really changed is that …

United States – Trophy Hunting Elephants and Lions

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Note: Article updated: 18, 20 November and 23 December 2017 Update: On the 22 December 2017, the D.C. Court of Appeals concluded that “That Sport Killing Won’t Help Zimbabwe’s Elephants” in response to the Centre for Biological Diversity and National Resources Defense Council challenge to the USA Interior Department’s regressive …

Lion Hunting Trophy Imports

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Banner image – courtesy of Mwana – Kanimambo Creations The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Service Director Dan Ashe has recently announced (20 October 2016) that the United States will no longer permit the import of lion trophies from captive hunts in South Africa. Melissa Bachman poses with …