Lions from Botswana

[Spalea]

Beverly Joubert: " Many emotions are stirred when staring into the eyes of a lion. For some – like the farmers who live alongside these animals – it’s a feeling of fear and dread for their safety and that of their livestock. Others see opportunity – a chance to harvest the animals for their bones or skin to feed a grisly illegal market. For many, a close-up lion encounter evokes excitement and further instills in them a sense of respect for these vital predators. ⁣

⁣
I see hope in the eyes of lions. Hope that we can one day overcome the burgeoning threats that are pushing the species towards extinction; hope that Africa’s wild spaces will once again be home to a significant number of these big cats rather than the 20-odd thousand that remain today; hope that lions will not lose their resilience in the face of a cruel world; and hope that we will always be able to look into the eyes of lions and know that they are safe.⁣ "

Reply