Maybe I’m overstepping the mark but really what is the difference between a hunt in the wild for a lion and shooting a tamed farm-bred lion (that has been fed waste from the meat-processing industry)?
Maybe all fish in aquariums and circus lions should also be freed?
As for lion breeders, think of it with all the chicken, beef and pork that is considered unfit for human consumption: this is a brilliant way of dealing with such waste.
There is a wonderful story of a game breeder in Gravelotte called Piet Warren who sold an antelope for R27 million not too long ago.
Insuring these animals is not cheap and costs as much as R100 000 a month. Capture and transport is another story.
Watch his story on YouTube and read about this miraculous down-to-earth farmer who drives a Toyota bakkie (the expensive one).
Every hurdle he turned into an opportunity and when he could not dispose his unsold waste/meat/carcasses, he started with a few lions.
No prizes for guessing where and how these lions end up but once again this shows how an adverse event can be turned into a golden opportunity in the middle of nowhere.
Gravelotte is no place to visit, yet has produced a brilliant businessman, farmer and breeder.
For all the noise the conservationists make, how many animals have they bred and sold let alone at a profit.