Born Free USA has been leading the charge against the trophy hunting of lions. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of African lion trophies and parts: one of the main reasons why lion populations are so low. Between 1999 and 2008, 7,090 lion specimens, reported to be from a wild source, were traded internationally for recreational trophy hunting purposes.

Learn more about what Born Free USA is doing about trophy hunting &racquo;

The demand for animal trophies has led to another cruel practice: canned hunting. Canned hunts are private or commercial trophy hunts in which animals are raised and released into a confined area to be hunted. The canned hunting industry has, in turn, led to the development of captive breeding of wild animals solely to be used in hunts.

Learn more about what Born Free is doing about canned hunting and captive breeding &racquo;

Throughout the world, countless thousands of lions and other big cats are kept in appalling conditions in zoos, circuses, and in private possession by individuals as “pets.”

Learn more about what Born Free USA is doing to end the use of animals in entertainment &racquo;

Learn more about what Born Free USA is doing to end the exotic pet trade »

Born Free also supports the rescue and/or continued care of lions, like Dolo (link to his adoption page). Learn more about conservation projects and sanctuaries that we support:

• Lion conservation in Kenya »
• Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (Malawi) »
• Ensessakotteh – a Wildlife Rescue, Conservation, and Education Centre (Ethiopia) »
• Shamwari Game Reserve (South Africa) »

Lion body parts are traded for use in so-called traditional medicine. It is believed that, in Southeast Asia, wild lion bones and other body parts are increasingly sought after, perhaps to replace now extremely scarce tiger products, and also as a result of a booming Asian community living in Africa.

Unfortunately, international commercial trade in their body parts is still legal. In fact, canned hunting facilities in South Africa have been exporting worrying volumes of lion body parts to Southeast Asia. Legal sales may mask a much bigger illegal trade, and the availability of legal lion bones in Asian markets may increase demand and incentivize the poaching of lions in Africa. Born Free USA believes that African lions should be uplisted to Appendix I of CITES in order to bring an end to the legal trade and assist enforcement efforts to stem the illegal trade in lions.

Learn more about what Born Free USA is doing to end the trade in lion parts »

Learn more about Born Free USA’s successful quest to list the African lion as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act »

Lion meat

A surprising and appalling trend has spread in restaurants and bars across the U.S.: the offering of lion meat in the form of burgers and tacos, and on pizza. There is a complete lack of government oversight for this unregulated industry of raising, butchering, processing, and eating lions. In response, Born Free USA undertook a year-long investigation into the sale of lion meat for human consumption.

Learn more about Born Free USA’s investigation and its findings »

Read our article, “Lions on the Menu: A Deadly Delicacy” »

Because lions now live closer to human settlements and have lost much of their natural prey base, they often kill livestock – which angers humans. In retaliation, members of local communities brutally kill lions by spearing or poisoning.

Lion-proof boma project »

African lions are in danger of losing the land they require in order to thrive. Lion habitats are shrinking as humans encroach into these lands and convert them for agricultural use.

Lions are seeing dwindling numbers of their natural prey, due to drought and poaching for the illegal bushmeat trade. This has led to an increase in instances of lions killing livestock.

Lions are exposed to a variety of diseases, which may be deadly, like canine distemper virus (CDV) (transmitted by domestic dogs), babesiosis (carried by a tick-borne blood parasite), and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).