Officials inspecting a lion breeding farm in South Africa discovered a multitude of horrors during a surprise visit in July.
The first heartbreaking case of neglect was captured on video; two lion cubs locked in separate metal crates displayed serious neurological issues as their heads shook uncontrollably. With their front and back legs paralyzed, accompanying other serious injuries, the vet had no choice but to euthanize them at the scene.
Image Credit: NSPCA
Shockingly, this isn’t the first time inspectors have found severe animal welfare issues at Pienika Farm in the North West Province. In April this year, officers from SA’s National Society for the Prevention of Animals (NSPCA) visited the property and found dozens of lions and tigers cramped together in small cages, many with no water or shelter. Twenty-seven animals were nearly bald due to extreme mange. The caracals were so obese they couldn’t even clean themselves.
Image Credit: NSPCA
During that first visit, more cubs suffering from severe neurological conditions were found.
Animal welfare charges were laid, but no action has been taken since then, as officials are reportedly still gathering evidence. Further charges will be added following the second inspection.
This farm is just one of an estimated 300 lion breeding farms in South Africa, where big cats are bred purely for lives of exploitation. Many end up as fodder for the canned hunting industry — but only after being used and abused throughout every stage of their lives. Ultimately, they are harvested for the lion bone trade.
Advocacy organization the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting alerted The Sun to this tragic case, bringing the issue of lion farming in South Africa into the media spotlight.
“There are around 60 such facilities in South Africa breeding big cats for people to pet, bottle feed, and then shoot for a trophy,” said Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting. “The bones are often sold off to dodgy dealers in Asia who make fake medicines out of them. This is the reality of big cat factory farming in South Africa. It’s simply obscene. The animals are kept in appalling conditions, and their owners make a fortune out of their misery.”
What is canned hunting?
Canned hunting is where people pay a fee to kill exotic animals kept in a confined area. The animals have no escape and are conditioned to humans, so they lack the flight response of wild animals.
Not only is the practice of killing animals bred in captivity legal in South Africa, it is thriving. The Born Free Foundation estimates that more than 8,000 lions and other big cats are held in hundreds of farms in the nation.
“Africa’s lions are facing an unprecedented crisis,” says Dr. Mark Jones, Head of Policy at the Born Free Foundation. “There are now almost three times more in captivity than there are in the wild. These animals have a short and traumatic life in what is an incredibly cruel and cynical industry.”
Image Source: Campaign to End Trophy Hunting
The big cats are ripped away from their mothers at around two-to-three weeks old. The mother is then immediately forced to breed again in a torturous cycle. Gullible animal lovers pay to volunteer at lion cub “orphanages,” petting and bottle feeding these babies, falsely assuming their efforts are contributing to conservation.
The cubs are then exploited at lion-walking facilities, where tourists spend money to get selfies. Finally, they are sold to the canned hunting sites. After being ruthlessly murdered, their body parts and bones are sold.
An estimated 800 farmed lions are slaughtered by trophy hunters every year in South Africa.
“Here in South Africa, where lions are indigenous and a massive part of our heritage, we are condemning thousands of lions to a life of captivity, where their basic needs are not being catered for, and we are subjecting what is globally known as the king of the animal kingdom to a pathetic life in a cage, waiting for death,” said Senior Inspector Douglas Wolhuter, manager of NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit.
These magnificent animals suffer from birth for a gruesome, unethical industry which is kept afloat by wealthy trophy hunters from around the world.
Add your voice to stop the cruelty. Sign our petition to end trophy hunting in S. Africa for good.
SIGN: Stop Appalling ‘Canned Hunts’ of Factory-Farmed Animals Killed for Trophies
This is just so wrong on so many levels!! Animals are meant to be free to live as God intended, not bred for humans to trophy hunt! SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN NOW!!!
THESE POOR ANIMALS DIDN’T STAND A CHANCE.THEY ARE CORNERED AND KILLED FOR NO REASON!! I WONDER IF ANY OF THESE LOWLIFES EVEN HAVE A HEART AT ALL! VERY SAD. I WAS PRIVELAGED TO LIVE IN THE60’S AND IF THIS WENT ON, THERE WAS NO WORD ABOUT IT. PEOPLE HAD A LITTLE MORE HEART AND CARED A LITTLE MORE THAN THE HUMAN ANIMALS OF TODAY! LOVE AND PEACE!
The question is ‘Can they suffer?’ All animals have the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that humans do. They feel pain, pleasure, fear, frustration, loneliness, and motherly love. Whenever we consider doing something that would interfere with their needs, we are morally obligated to take them into account.
Every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering. Animal rights is not just a philosophy—it is a social movement that challenges society’s traditional view that all nonhuman animals exist solely for human use.
Farming big cats in horrendous conditions and taking very young cubs away from their mothers is a dystopian nightmare! All in the pursuit of money and to satisfy the vanity of narcissistic beings who think they are being brave and skillful by killing captive-bred animals – and have nothing better to spend their money on! Initiating children into this barbarism is unforgivable. They don’t understand that it’s wrong and take their cue from their parents. What a lesson to teach little ones. Child abuse and animal abuse go hand in hand in this disgusting practice.
This is cruel. There is no reason nor excuse for this.
So called humans who commit these atrocities are the ones that need to be hunted, or frozen to death. Is it any wonder I prefer the company of animals to humans. This “farm” of death needs to be closed and the owners prosecuted for animal cruelty, jailed for at least 5 years and NEVER HAVE ANIMALS AGAIN.
There are no words that one can say to describe a trophy hunter and the company or club, or whatever, that raises animals for this practice.
Difficult to keep these comments ‘peaceful’ when the acts commenting about are nothing but…This is a disgrace! Abhorrent and disgusting “people” who are affiliated with this absolutely heinous “business” it is yet nothing more than a crime. Gathering evidence?! Look at the effin pictures! My next question is how much are the officials getting for allowing this to continue? Seriously this stinks worse than the corpses of all the majestic beautiful creatures killed by the cowards who hide behind their guns and think they are the bomb for murdering creatures a 100 times more special than they are. Trophy hunters, ad than canned trophy hunters are amongst the lowest life forms. Nothing but contempt for these specimens of the human race. To the SA authorities you need to ACT! THERE IS NO EXCUSE EVER!
How can people be so cruel and thoughtless.
Get rid of them!!! Prosecutors should throw them in jail for a long time!!!!
all fat ugly vile scumbags. take the money and put it to great use, not killing off species and innocent animals.
Humans are the only creatures on earth who kill for ‘fun’. Those scum
are sick and evil. Trophy hunting should be illegal.
People are sick. These farms just do it for the money. I would lose my temper if I see this!
And the blood suckers who come to kill this animals!
Trophy hunting must be banned no matter what kind of animal is hunted.
These people need locking up indefinitely, they are nothing but serial murderers & abusers. If they are doing this to these beautiful & Majestic creatures what else are they hiding. Unless the law starts to pass sentences that mean something & shut them down completely these murdering scum bags will just stick two fingers up at the law & carry on. And we need to start hitting the so called people, & I use the word PEOPLE loosely with prison & hitting them in the pocket, I’m afraid this murder will carry on. 🤬
Horrific!! I don’t see the sport in this. The hunted don’t stand a chance. And in the end, what has the hunter accomplished? Narcissistic a**holes!!
These canned hunts and these cruel animal farms have to be stopped.
How can disgraceful people like this call this hunting? Big man can’t go out in the wild and shoot and animal because he’d never get the chance so big man has to hunt in a confined area where the animal hasn’t got a chance…CALL THAT HUNTING, I don’t think so I call it disgusting and belittling of the big man. Plus why on earth would teach your children to kill wonder what they’ll look to kill when they grow up….people??? You’re the worst in the world and I hope your due is coming and it’ll be BIG.
Dispose of all humans involved. Way to go South Africa. I would love to start up boycotts of everything SA.
I find it vulgar the way animals are treated. Would you treat your family members that. If not your most definitely in the wrong!!
STOP cruelty!
Canned hunting needs to be done away with. There is absolutely no good reason to kill a living thing. None. Hunters will argue that it is a popular sport. Killing is not a sport. Killing has never been a sport. Additionally, hunting in any form doesn’t even meet the criteria of a sport: in sports, both sides know the rules, both sides have the same equipment, and both sides have a chance at a successful outcome. That DOES NOT occur in hunting.
Humans are so cruel and exploiting of animals.
Only other humans can intervene on behalf of animals.
Bastards!
Anybody who cause the suffer to any living creature will receive the same and even more turture later to thier loved one, childrens and themselves. That is the reason of all those disaster that happen to you when you are screeming to g.od why you!!!
This is disgusting. How can people have so little regard for living creatures. Humans are the most disgusting animals on the earth.
The lack of empathy and compassion is mind blowing and these idiots have children in training, how awful.
In the cases of awarding justice for cruelty to animals – it’s time to apply ‘an eye for an eye’. Whatever torture the criminal inflicted on his/her victim – let them be subject to that same torture.
OMG!!!!! I HATE YOU SOO MUCH!!! YOU ALL ARE SUCH “HORRIBLE HORRIBLE “ EVIL BEINGS !! KARMA TO YOU ALL……
This atrocity needs to be abolished.
Sorry but it is just impossible to make peaceful and friendly comments while watching all this human brutality! Besides it doesn’t say anywhere that you are doing more than just informing and asking for money! I would like you ladyfreethinker to do more than just observing and informing and asking for money!I would like to know that you punish these bastards!
Good point — we want direct line with Author Carly Day — is there anything more we need to do? — will we be updated with progress reports, etc.? —– is Carly getting any response from those she’s complaining to?
We must stopped the torture and of these beautiful animals!