Taken in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
When I first travelled through Africa, many people asked me whether I would walk with lions, as I didn’t know any different I decided that it would be a great experience to do this, and at the time had a great day with friends and got to get up close and personal with lions. As you can see, the photo opportunity was great, however on speaking to people further about this, I researched more when I completed my travels.
For the majority, lions walks do not provide any benefit towards conservation of lions in the wild. Panthera states that if you are not sure, you should ask the handlers at the encounter “how many lions have you raised that have gone back into the wild?” If they give a figure above zero, they’re likely making it up. In fact most never even attempt to release them. The unfortunate fate of these lions generally ends up within the hunting industry which can be quite legal, provided the correct permits are completed.
For more information: http://www.panthera.org/blog/walking-lions-myth-conservation
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Alex Tweedie
