REAL GAP are sending innocent volunteers to unethical lion breeding & petting facilities in South Africa.

REAL GAP, a company owned by TUI, are sending volunteers to projects which breed and exploit lions. These are facilities who do not prove where all their lions end up.

This project > http://www.realgap.co.uk/live-with-lion-cubs-in-south-africa

ABTA, the governing body, must also take responsibility - http://abta.com/about-abta/raising-standards/animal-welfare

#cannedhunting is an industry in South Africa whereby captive bred and human raised lions are shot by trophy collectors. The lions volunteers care for and the lions tourists pet ARE BEING SOLD AND KILLED in #cannedhunting

REAL GAP ARE SUPPORTING THESE FACILITIES THAT BREED, PET AND SELL.

REAL GAP you are guilty;

• of acting irresponsibly 
• mis-selling goods and services
• mis-leading volunteers and customers
• acting irresponsibly by ignoring our advice and guidance
• acting unprofessionally for not immediately withdrawing this project when concerns were raised
• ignoring genuine customer complaints (see www.claws-out.com)

REAL GAP you were warned from 14th May 2014 and given all the information from myself and others. You have IGNORED everyone and relied foolishly upon the "word" of the project in question. How unprofessional to not do your research. You are not a professional company and you are mis-leading customers and the public.

I also believe further legal action will be taken against Real Gap/TUI by mis-led volunteers

WHY AND HOW

With NO lions released from these breeding projects in South Africa, volunteers are being conned and cheated into believing they are helping conservation. They are not. No captive lions have ever been released in SA.

These projects do very little. What they do is the following;

• continuously breed lionesses
• after 3 weeks remove her litter
• the lioness will be bred again
• the cubs are then offered to tourists to pet, sometimes drugged
• volunteers then care for the cubs
• after being petted for several months, the lions are then forced to take part in "walking with lions" experiences
• after 2 years, the lions are sold, with only a few going to other facilities, the others disappear

Figures;

Estimation (from Linda Park of CACH)

170 facilities breeding lions x 3 breeding females x 4 cubs per litter x 2 births a year 

= 4,080 LION CUBS BORN EACH YEAR

WHERE ARE ALL THE LIONS?

I repeat... WHERE ARE ALL THE LIONS?

REAL GAP immediately remove all projects involving lion and other big cat breeding and petting projects. ACT RESPONSIBLY.

Watch #BLOODLIONS > www.bloodlions.org

Learn more > www.cannedlion.org

Learn from those who experienced Real Gap and this project > www.claws-out.com

Complain directly to Real Gap > info@realgap.co.uk 

File a complaint to ABTA > spickup@abta.co.uk; hfelton@abta.co.uk

Thank you for your support.