Our recently published research identified 124 health conditions affecting lions kept in captivity globally, ranging from a broken tooth and a tail-bone fracture due to fighting, to anorexia, parasitic infections, paralysis of the legs, and cardiovascular diseases.

Pathogenic health conditions (for example diseases caused by bacteria and viruses) can emerge as a result of inadequate environmental conditions, such as poor hygiene, leading to an increased prevalence in some infectious diseases, like mange.

Our research is supported by the findings from welfare inspections on commercial captive lion breeding facilities in South Africa in which the NSPCA identified the following conditions that fall in the Health Domain:

• Animals infested with untreated parasite infestations;
• Diseased and injured animals that received no veterinary treatment;
• Enclosures that were not cleaned regularly to remove excess faeces, litter and uneaten carcasses

These health conditions are just some of the reasons why we need to #CancelCaptivity. 

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