Animal advocates are mourning the tragic loss of two ex-circus lions who were senselessly killed by poachers at a sanctuary in South Africa where they were supposed to live out their days in peace. The two lions, José and Liso, were among 33 former circus lions who were rescued during part of a larger effort […]
Tag: lion
POLL: Should the keeping of dangerous wild animals as pets be banned?
In a victory for wildlife, South Carolina has officially passed a law that bans keeping dangerous wild animals as pets. The new law, which was just signed by Governor Henry McMaster, will now ban the private possession of big cats, non-native bears and great apes. “We applaud the provisions of this bill that prohibit the […]
POLL: Should the inter-breeding of lions and tigers be banned?
A coalition of US conservation groups has launched an attempt to outlaw the breeding of so-called frankencats, where big cats such as tigers and lions are crossed with each other to create unusual and often unhealthy specimens. A petition filed with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday calls for an end to the […]
POLL: Could trophy hunting help conserve lions?
Trophy hunting could help conserve lions, according to the Oxford University scientist who had studied Cecil the lion for years before the animal was killed by an American dentist. A new report by Prof David MacDonald for UK ministers concluded that strictly regulated hunting of lions could provide a financial incentive to protect areas of […]
Cecil the Lion: Charges dropped against professional hunter
A court in Zimbabwe has thrown out charges against the professional hunter who helped Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer hunt Cecil the lion last year. The court ruled that the charges against Theo Bronkhorst “were too vague to enable him to mount a proper defence,” BBC News reported. He had been charged with failing to stop […]
POLL: Should lion canned hunting be banned?
Some 8,000 lions bred for the sole purpose of being hunted are kept on game ranches in South Africa. Every year thousands of hunters – mostly Americans – pay handsomely to kill these lions within the confines of walls and fences, a practice known as canned lion hunting. But starting today they’ll no longer be […]
Rare desert lions of ‘five musketeers’ fame poisoned
A trio of male lions died earlier this month after they were poisoned—but they weren’t just any big cats. They were three of the five brothers, known as “the five musketeers,” who starred in the film Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib, which aired on the National Geographic Channel earlier this year. The film traced […]
Lions sync when they ovulate – but people don’t
While researching lions in Zambia, biologist Thandiwe Mweetwa noticed that lionesses within a pride will all have cubs around the same time. When she looked into it further, Mweetwa learned lionesses sync their fertility cycles so that they can all raise their young together. There’s a reason for that. “Synchronized estrus is thought to increase […]