A zoo in Ethiopia is poisoning rare lion cubs and selling the corpses to be stuffed because it cannot afford to care for the animals, the zoo's administrator said yesterday. "These animals are the pride of our country, but our only alternative right now is to send them to the taxidermist," Muhedin Abdulaziz of the Lion Zoo said.
Ethiopia's lions, famous for their black manes, are the national symbol, adorning statues and the local currency. The country's emperors were long fascinated by lions, part of their connection with Solomon, the lion of Judah.
Wildlife experts estimate that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions, which are smaller than other lions, remain in the wild.
The Lion Zoo has poisoned six cubs so far this year, Mr Abdulaziz said. He added that the poisoning has been going on at least since he arrived two years ago.
The Lion Zoo is a popular attraction in Ethiopia. Built in 1948 by Emperor Haile Selassie, it houses 16 adult lions and five cubs in cages surrounded by barbed wire.
The dead cubs are sold to taxidermists for £90 each, to be stuffed and resold, Mr Abdulaziz said. Hunters also kill the wild animals for their skins, which can fetch around £500.
The zoo costs about £3,100 a month to run, but receives only £2,600 in revenues from entrance fees, he added.
Mesganu Arga, the head of the information and culture bureau in Addis Ababa, said the city was looking into the matter. "These are rare animals and a treasure to the country. We are promoting these lions."
Animal conservation groups expressed outrage at the killings. James Isiche, the director of the Kenya-based International Fund for Animal Welfare, said the zoo should prevent the animals from breeding if it could not care for them. "Enforcement to protect these animals is critical," he said.
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