Washington, D.C. — Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, has released a new short video today, World Lion Day, to raise awareness about the serious ongoing plight of lions in a light-hearted, humorous way. The video features a “reporter” interviewing a “lion” who is working as a gardener in the suburbs because living in the Serengeti is too dangerous for him.[teaserbreak]
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “Following the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, there is a renewed resolve at the international, national, and state levels to protect lions, which recently resulted in protection of the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. These efforts have helped, but more work is needed. We hope that, by addressing the issue with humor, this quirky, clever video about the lion poaching crisis will garner attention in a fresh, new way. We believe that fewer than 20,000 lions exist across Africa today. The decline of the lion has been rapid and steep—and, without global action, the species could disappear from significant parts of Africa during our lifetime. Our goal is that a video about a landscaper lion in the suburbs taps into a new audience via social media.”
The video (www.bornfreeusa.org/savelions) is part of Born Free USA’s 2016 Year of the Lion campaign, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1966 feature film Born Free, and shines a spotlight on the urgent need to protect lions. The organization has been using the hashtag #YearOfTheLion.
Additional global protection for lions is being advocated by Born Free USA at the upcoming meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), starting September 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Roberts continued: “The more than 180 nations that are Parties to this vital wildlife trade treaty have a historic opportunity to follow America’s lead and protect lions in international trade. Niger, the lead proponent of the proposal, and all of the other supportive governments, deserve massive praise for their profoundly important endeavor.”
Created by the production company Goodey & Whelski, the 2:45-minute video stars Jason Salmon as Sunny the Lion and Tyler Fischer as The Reporter. It was filmed on location in Westwood, New Jersey for Born Free USA.
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”: the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com