Rare Lion Cubs Poisoned

This is so wrong:

Rare Abyssinian lion cubs are being poisoned at a zoo in Ethiopia and sold to taxidermists because there isn't enough money to care for the animals, the facility's administrator said Wednesday.

Famous for their black manes, the lions are revered in Ethiopia, adorning statues and the national currency. Wildlife experts estimate only 1,000 of the animals, which are smaller than other lions, remain in the wild.

"These animals are the pride of our country, but our only alternative right now is to send them to the taxidermist," said Muhedin Abdulaziz, who heads the Lion Zoo in the capital, Addis Ababa.

I just saw a 60 Minutes report about endangered Bengal Tigers in India. Now this; it's appalling these beautiful animals are being treated this way. Like the Bengal Tigers, conservationists estimate there are only 1,000 of them left in the wild.

The conservationionists are right; the lions shouldn't be bred in captivity if the zoo can't afford to care for the cubs. At the very least, the cubs should be given to other zoos which would be more than glad to accept such rare breeds.

Apparently, this practice of poisoning the cubs has been going on for years; it raises the possibility that these animals are being bred to feed the illegal wildlife trading market. That should be investigated, too.

Image: AP/Les Neuhaus.



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