Lord Ashcroft exposes grim reality of South Africa's captive-bred lion trade

As a general rule, I am not in favour of outlawing things, but when it comes to making the case for a nationwide ban on breeding andkilling lions, an exception should be made. These animals lead lives that arepretty much worthless, with minimal joy or freedom. Due to inbreeding, manyof them are ill anyway. They cannot be released into the wild. Allowing them tobe subjected to intentional cruelty is unforgivable.The captive-bred lion industry in South Africa must be extinguished as a matter of urgency.Future generations will not thank us if we do not eliminate it now.