HSI and Blood Lions welcome the announcement by Safari Club International that it will no longer allow the promotion of canned lion hunting at its events. This move by the largest US-based trophy hunting organisation to denounce the shooting of captive bred or “canned” lions comes into immediate effect.

Blood Lions® and Humane Society International have firmly opposed this shocking practice, and welcome SCI’s statement that the “practice of the captive breeding of lions for the purpose of hunting has doubtful value to the conservation of lions in the wild.”

Safari Club International also announced that it will no longer “accept advertising from any operator for any such hunts, or allow operators to sell hunts for lions bred in captivity,” or include any entries of captive bred lions in its record books. As proud partners with Blood Lions® and the campaign to end the exploitation of captive bred lions and the industry it perpetuates. In South Africa, captive breeding of lions is poorly regulated and fraught with welfare and ethical concerns. HSI and Blood Lions® hope that this closes the door on the exploitation of lions once and for all. We remain steadfast in our opposition to all trophy hunting of all wild species and urge the SCI to extend this ban to elephants, rhinos, buffalos, hippos, giraffes and other animals, who are also slaughtered for trophies auctioned at SCI events.