Ethiopian lions poisoned to save money

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Rare Abyssinian lion cubs are being poisoned at a zoo because staff cannot afford to keep them, a wildlife official said Wednesday.

The dead cubs are sold to taxidermists for $170 each to be stuffed and sold as decorations, said Muhedin Abdulaziz, the administrator at the old imperial Lion Zoo in the capital, Addis Ababa.

"These animals are the pride of our country. We need to do something about this. But our only alternative right now is to send them to the taxidermist," Abdulaziz said.

Ethiopia's lions, famous for their black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency.

Wildlife experts estimate that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions, which are smaller than other lions, remain in the wild. Despite a recent crackdown, hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000.

Abdulaziz said it costs around $6,000 a month to run the zoo, but it only receives $5,000 in revenues from entrance fees. He added that the poisoning has been going on at least since he arrived two years ago; the number of cubs that have been killed was not immediately clear.

The zoo is a popular local attraction, although poor facilities have led to concerns by international wildlife organizations. It was built in 1948 by Emperor Haile Selassie and currently has 16 adult lions and five cubs.

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[Sinergy 3]

[arwensun1965 1]

This has been on the radio all day, I find it disgusting that these cubs are put down, they are an endangered species and all because of money.

[mrc 0]

It's sad that any country should have to do this. Let's face it, despite all of our problems in the U.S., we are pretty fortunate.

Edited November 22, 2006 by mrc

[anya-D 8]

I really hope some organization step up and help them!!! May be they can actually send those cubs to other zoos or another country!!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This has been on the radio all day, I find it disgusting that these cubs are put down, they are an endangered species and all because of money.

Put into perspective, there are a lot of people far worse off in Ethiopia than any animal in any zoo. Since people far below the existential minimum are not an endagered species, however, I suppose they don't make the headlines quite as frequently. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for lion cubs being put down for nothing but a lack of money to keep them fed. Just as long as thousands of humans die every day from lack of funds for food, I don't see why these cubs get all the attention.