Dear CEO of CBS and Producers of "The Amazing Race,"

As dedicated wildlife advocates and individuals concerned with the rights and welfare of Africa’s lions, many were deeply disappointed to see "The Amazing Race" participants taking part in lion walking. The episode — which aired on Friday, October 23rd, 2015 — entailed having participants of the hit television series walk with lions in Zambia as part of a challenge. By the looks of it, the lion walking activity likely took place with a notorious encounter facility heavily involved in lion exploitation. We will refrain from mentioning the name of that facility here, though many are likely to recognize the facility's attributes from the episode. Throughout the segment, during the lion-walking part, you will notice that the walkers have sticks and speak to the participants about the lions' ages, etc. The show also advertises the Masuwe Game Reserve, which is located near the aforementioned notorious lion-encounter facility; this encounter facility offers direct contact with the animals. Such interaction is exploitive and must be avoided. 

We find it oddly perplexing that the same television network which hosted the 2014 "60 Minutes" segment with Kevin Richardson about lion exploitation in Africa, would go on to feature lion walking in one of its series and additionally help advertise the activity. To be sure, airing one segment about lion exploitation only to air another which has people directly participating in that exploitation, must be contradictory to CBS’ ethics and morals. Or, at the very least, we hope it would be. 

What your network may be unaware of, is that lion walking is just as exploitive and cruel as cub petting and canned lion hunting are. Lions used in lion walking activities have likely grown up in the caged-lion-breeding industry, wherein lions are bred across Africa in captivity solely for profit. As cubs, they are used in petting activities, taken from their mothers right after birth and thrust into the arms of eager, naive volunteers/tourists — sometimes before their eyes have even opened. Once they grow too large to be safely cuddled by tourists, they are used in lion walking, whereby people pay to walk with lions which are prodded with sticks and coerced into jumping and running for treats -- all for human entertainment. But these lions ultimately end up being sold to hunts (either trophy or canned) because they inevitably grow too large even for lion walking. Once they are no longer useful for profit as captive animals, they get killed in hunts (likely by wealthy Americans, who make up most of the market for trophy hunting in Africa). 

Here are two articles which explain further why & how lion walking leads to canned lion hunting:

1.http://greenglobaltravel.com/2014/05/05/walking-with-lions-canned-lion-hunting-connection/
2.http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/canned_hunting_and_cub-petting_are_big_business_in_south_africa/

Like many others, we are deeply disappointed and saddened that the television network which hosted the much-applauded "60 Minutes" segment on canned lion hunting (2014) would in turn allow one of its programs to use lion exploitation as a facet of its activities. We rely on accurate and quality reporting such as is evidenced by "60 Minutes," and yet the latest episode of "The Amazing Race" --with its use of lions for entertainment and its subsequent advertising of lion exploitation -- speaks lowly of your network. Why offer quality reporting on issues like lion exploitation if you will air programs which use such exploitation for viewership & ratings? 

We kindly and respectively ask that you prohibit programs under your network from using and advertising animals and wildlife for exploitive activities. By having certain programs team up with facilities which offer wildlife exploitation, and subsequently advertising such activities, your network belittles the ace reporting done through such programs such as "60 Minutes," and work these programs do to make viewers aware of serious issues (like wildlife exploitation in Africa). Further, if your programs are teaming up with facilities which offer such exploitation, this may harm your network’s credibility, as many advocates see this as disappointing and low, and many of us are likely to turn to other networks which do not perpetuate these activities. 

Please refrain from utilizing wildlife and animals in your programs which are exploited simply for viewership and higher ratings. We understand that your company is dedicated to presenting quality television programs, and we believe you will do the right thing in this situation by prohibiting wildlife exploitation in your programs. 

Thank you.