• Home
  • Our story
  • Our people
  • Myth busters
  • Act now
  • Visit us
  • Blog
Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH)

Heart of a Lioness

3/19/2019

5 Comments

 
Picture
                                    
​                
With the heart of a lioness
       One volunteer’s journey of discovery in the dark heart of the canned lion hunting industry.


The three day animal advocacy course which I offer at the Karoo wildlife centre has the advantage of bringing me into contact with volunteers who know much more about cup petting then I do.

One of the attendees of my recent course was a lady who I shall call Ronnie and she is the author of the book titled “With the Heart of a Lioness.)

 She was kind enough to give me a one-minute video clip about her book. https://youtu.be/a7sV8MJRML4

I am frequently approached by volunteers to South Africa wanting advice on ethical destinations. I always say that the rule of thumb is: avoid any facility where breeding takes place.

Unfortunately, there seems to be an insatiable demand - in particular among the tender gender - to cuddle a lion cub.

Ronnie’s book is a scrupulously careful and detailed account of her experiences at a lion farm in the Free State province of South Africa. On one level it is a guidebook for volunteers; where to go, what to do, how to behave around animals, particularly lions, and everything else that a serious volunteer would need to know.

But on a deeper level the book relates a journey of discovery; how one dedicated animal lover who believed that she was doing conservation work eventually opened her eyes to the ugly reality of lion farming and canned hunting in South Africa.

Little by little she describes how she comes to understand that she has been duped. Here are some of the grandiose claims and fine sounding sentiments which one sordid and squalid lion farm puts out to volunteers to entice them to bring their money and come:
“all cubs are hand raised which boost their survival rate and creates a manageable and sustainable program.
We conserve the Bengal tiger and increase awareness about tiger conservation.
Our mission is to sustain the genetic pool of the lion”…. 

With such skilful and astute deception, lion farms continue to attract gullible animal lovers from overseas. Too late they discover that the extortionate fees that they are charged, which they thought were promoting conservation, in fact enable lion farmers to externalise the cost of rearing their lions to huntable size. And in the process, put local previously disadvantaged South Africans out of work.

The author relates a litany of abuse at every stage of the doomed lions’ lives; reckless breeding, appallingly cruel and amateurish animal husbandry, neglect , cruel exploitation - and all under the cloak of ‘conservation.’

Everything about this sick industry is fraudulent. Volunteers are fraudulently deceived into thinking that they are promoting lion conservation; canned lion hunting is fraudulently claimed to be ‘saving wild lions’; the lion bones that are sold to Asia are fraudulently represented as tiger bones in order to produce tiger bone wine and cake which is then fraudulently passed off to the consumer as a health medicine.

All in all lion farming is a business model built upon routine cruelty to animals which flourishes behind a Bell-Pottinger facade of conservation.

To animal lovers who are thinking of volunteering at any facility in South Africa where breeding takes place and there are cubs to pet, I urge them to read Ronnie’s book first, and then take the time to come to the Karoo wildlife centre for three nights in order to be educated on how the hunting industry has invaded and occupied conservation space in South Africa.
            www.cannedlion.org/volunteers.html
 
 
 

5 Comments
Carol Keith
3/19/2019 12:43:29 pm

It always amazes me how people who work closely with a problem don't seem to know their is one. Regardless I must give you a pat on the back for having the strength to admit it. We all need to keep spreading the word in order to shut these SOB's down.

Reply
Ronni Thompson link
3/19/2019 01:36:09 pm

Carol, I completely agree with you.

Just to say, 10 years ago there was a lot less information available on the subject, even from organisations that facilitate this kind of experience. That is mainly why the book was witten. Meanwhile we are all a lot more clued up.

I am not a gullible 18-20 year old, and yet believed every word I was told for 2 years before my eyes were opened by a heartbreaking event.

The saying goes: hindsight is an exact science, a wonderful thing. And still, this facility and many others are fully booked each year. We do need to keep spreading the word.

ps. thanks for the pat on the back :)

Reply
Cathrine
3/20/2019 08:18:23 am

Hi Ronnie,
I would love to get in contact with you and share our stories to create even more awareness. Looking forward to hearing from you!
All the best, Cathrine
Chris has my number.

Ronni Thompson link
3/20/2019 10:52:13 am

Hi Cathrine,

Jeg tror jeg vet hvem du er. I'm based in the UK and will be flying back tomorrow so for the time being email may be easiest, but I will try to get in touch soon.

All the best
Ronni

Reply
Cecilie Davidson
3/20/2019 08:53:26 pm

Congratulations on your book. Lion farm breeders, as well as most members of Safari International, and canned hunt participants and other wild game hunters deserve to spend time in a preferably Chinese gaol.

Reply



Leave a Reply.


    Newsletter

    Archives

    August 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

Animal advocacy courses are offered here:

    Subscribe to our newsletter:

Submit
PUBLIC BENEFIT NUMBER: PB0930030402        |        REG. NUMBER: 2006/036885/08   
   CACH:  P.O. BOX 54 LADISMITH 6655 SOUTH AFRICA     |     MOBILE/CELL/WHATSAPP:  +27 (0) 82 9675808
.