On December 3, Thompsons Africa signed a global pledge not to support exploitative wildlife-interactive tourism.
The signing was accompanied by multiple screenings of the award-winning Blood Lions film, and formalises the company’s stance against such activities.
CEO of Thompsons Africa, Alessandra Alleman, said: “We are very proud to partner with Blood Lions in creating awareness around the canned hunting industry. It is important that our people understand why we say no to our customers when they request experiences involving walking with lions, cub petting and other forms of animal interactions. Tourism in South Africa is about our wildlife and nature and we want to keep it that way! We want generations of families from all over the world to continue to see our wonderful wildlife in their natural habitat…not caged or being handled by hundreds of people each day. We pledge our support to the Blood Lions campaign and we pledge to continue to create awareness in holding up the values of sustainable tourism.”
Thompsons Africa supports Blood Lions and its aims, and has committed itself to a number of actions.
Pippa Hawkins, Producer of the Blood Lions film, concludes: “To have one of the largest tourism operators in Africa stand behind the ‘Born to Live Wild’ pledge and commit to promoting ethical and responsible tourism in South Africa is a huge step forward for the industry. We commend Thompsons Africa for pledging against these exploitative wildlife activities. Blood Lions is proud to partner with them in this campaign.”
