Although there are 5 main diseases we’ve unpacked in #TheSick5, there are a total of 23 diseases that can potentially be transmitted from lions to people.

These diseases were identified in the recent Zoonosis study Blood Lions released with World Animal Protection.

Despite the large number of lions bred in captivity in South Africa and the long list of diseases found to affect them, the researchers did not find any scientific studies investigating health and diseases on commercial lion farms in South Africa.

Without this vital information it is impossible to effectively prevent, monitor or manage potential health risks on these farms, particularly considering this industry is poorly regulated and animal welfare enforcement lies with the NSPCA only.

Stop the interactions. Stop the trade.