The internationally acclaimed film Blood Lions™ – Bred for the Bullet, has partnered with the Born Free Foundation to bring you the London premiere. The controversial film will be screened on the 27th of November at 19h00 at the Royal Geographical Society in London (1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR – Exhibition Road Entrance). For a small contribution of only £20 you can witness this ground breaking film.
“Blood Lions™ joins other films, like Gorillas in the Mist, Echo of the Elephants, The Cove (Taiji dolphins in Japan), Blackfish”— Born Free Foundation president, Will Travers says, “which have truly influenced the way we interact with wild animals.”
Lions bred for slaughter in South Africa is big business. The Blood Lions™ story is a compelling call to action to have these practices stopped. Blood Lions™ follows presenter, researcher and safari operator Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about the multimillion-dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa.
“Being able to screen Blood Lions™ at the Royal Geographical Society with the Born Free Foundation as a partner is a great honour,” said Ian Michler – Presenter and Researcher for Blood Lions™. “The film and its messages continue to receive global attention, and this opportunity allows us to extend the discussion on a personal basis to include the British people and media.”
The Blood Lions™ team are implementing campaigns of awareness and action aimed at the general public; Government (both local and international) and provincial decision-makers; the scientific and conservation community (NGO’s); the tourism industry; the professional hunting bodies and the volunteer agencies. The Blood Lions™ team are also establishing two projects to feed funding into, namely – a Wild Lion Range Expansion Project and NSPCA (National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in South Africa) support.
“We are proud to partner with the Born Free Foundation for the UK premiere of our feature documentary in London later this month,” said Pippa Hankinson – Producer and driving force behind Blood Lions™. “The support that the film has received from across the United Kingdom has been phenomenal, and it is already playing a significant part in our campaign to create global awareness around the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa and to end the terrible exploitation of these lions.”
Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands and Executive Producer said: “Blood Lions™ exposes the cons of Lion breeding and hunting in South Africa. Over 900 lions are hunted each year, with 99% bred for the bullet. They are hand-reared by paying volunteers that believe they are saving ‘Africa’s Lions’. 4 days after their release from a life in captivity they are considered wild and can then be shot by hunters looking for a guaranteed kill; or slaughtered for the Lion bone trade to China. We have to stop this barbaric and fraudulent practise and believe that Blood Lions™ will help us do this. Creating awareness through this film across the world is an absolute honour, and Wildlands are very proud to be a part of this movement.”
Born Free Foundation president, Will Travers, concludes by saying: “South Africa’s failure to address the canned hunting industry has emboldened those who make a living out of the death of lions bred, raised and slaughtered on a ‘no kill, no fee’ basis. The canned hunting industry is unnatural, unethical and unacceptable. It delivers compromised animal welfare and zero education. It undermines conservation and creates a moral vacuum now inhabited by the greed and grotesque self-importance of those who derive pleasure in the taking of life. Blood Lions™ lays bare the truth.”
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)