ABOUT
THE CAMPAIGN
When the award winning Blood Lions® feature documentary premiered in 2015, the Blood Lions Campaign was also launched to create global awareness around the captive predator breeding, canned hunting and lion bone industries, as well as the various spin-off activities such as cub petting, walking with lions and voluntourism. The ultimate campaign goal is to bring an end to the commercial captive breeding and keeping of lions and other predators in South Africa.
campaign
We encourage YOU, viewers of the Blood Lions® film, visitors to Africa and followers on social media to make responsible choices about visiting or supporting captive wildlife facilities and activities. Through awareness and by reducing demand for tourism products offering interaction with captive wildlife, the campaign aims to bring an end to the exploitation of captive-bred wild animals.
The Blood Lions campaign is anchored not only by the Blood Lions® film, but also through a strong and active digital media platform, scientific research, lobbying and policy reform, as well as various specific campaigns, some in collaboration with key international partners.
One of our latest campaigns, the #ThinkBeforeYouGo campaign, took us back to basics and focused on the exploitation of captive wildlife and promoting the #KeepItWild concept. Through the campaign, we unravelled the SATSA Guidelines and Decision-Making Tool, which are highly relevant and useful tools to help you make more objective and ethical choices when visiting captive wildlife facilities.
SATSA Guide
The Guide identifies five groups of captive wildlife activities to AVOID:
Performing animals
Riding of wild animals
campaign progress
The Blood Lions team have made significant progress since the filming and production of the Blood Lions® film, the first documentary to look at all aspects of predator breeding in South Africa.
- The film has been translated into six languages and viewed around the world in approximately 180 countries/ territories.
- The film was nominated for screening at 17 international film festivals in 13 countries globally.
- Our online campaign reached over 9.2 millions people worldwide in 2022.
- Across our social media platforms, we have nearly 170,000 global supporters.
- Our website has become a global platform to raise awareness around the issues as well as acting as a coordinated call for action.
- Our research has led to the publication of six scientific peer-reviewed papers.
- We have assembled a coalition of parliamentary, conservation, tourism and scientific NGOs and other organizations against the practices.
- We have undertaken to be partners for change with various Ministries in the South African government and in late 2022, our Campaign Manager and Director was appointed on the Ministerial Task Team.
