No, South Africans do not keep lions as pets and toss them aside once they're done!
Animal cruelty is not something we take lightly in South Africa and this TikToker seems to have her worlds twisted.
This article may be triggering or offensive to sensitive readers.
Mzansi is a mystery to many across the Atlantic, especially when it comes to our living conditions and relationships with animals.
Many South African can attest to the fact that animal cruelty, poaching, and animal adoption are not something we take lightly - and it is a reality. Many regulations ensure the safety of our animals and preservation of wildlife.
Furthermore, South Africa does not condone the exotic trade of animals or keeping our Big 5 as pets.
Read More: Good news! South Africa to ban lion breeding in captivity for hunting!
People were lost for words when this video started going viral on TikTok.
Watch this attempt at an "educational" video that was posted by @iloveatiya:
@iloveatiya The work that @dohawildliferescue is doing is AMAZING 💕 #dohawildliferescue #wildliferescue ♬ original sound - Love Atiya
As seen in the video above, this TikTok user alleges that South Africans keep lions as pets and once we "no longer have a use for them" we "toss them to the side".
She later adds that "they get sent to roadside attractions or zoos where they live in absolutely inadequate and inhumane conditions. They're starved and abused and don't live how lions should live."
WATCH: Zoo tries to disguise golden retriever as lion
While many are outraged by the statements, some are making a mockery out of the ignorance of those who live overseas and their warped perception of South Africa and other third world countries.
Some of the comments are as follows, with some using sarcasm to express their disdain for her comments:
- "So that’s what happened to my lion"
- "As a South African I can confirm this. I have 3 lions. I taught them to roar in Afrikaans."
- "I must’ve spent 22 years in the wrong South Africa then"
- "South africa barely has electricity yet we "tossing lions aside"
- "Oh yeah, Johannesburg is absolutely chock-full of lions. All our huts have their own prides"
- "Can confirm, mine are direct descendants from Mufasa, actually. Bred by Timone and Pumba in Ethiopia and shipped down by Bezos"
- "My lion drinks only Woolworths water"
One user said it best when they said, "as a South African, all we can do is laugh".
As stated in previous pieces on East Coast Radio, in South Africa it's prohibited to actually keep a lion captive in your own personal space. Barbara Creecy, the Minister of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, has been vocal about how many people have been keeping lions captive in South Africa.
Whilst the reality is that the exploitation of wild animals takes place in South Africa, the TikTok user's generalisation of how South Africans treat our wildlife is ignorant and irresponsible.
For more information on ensuring the safety of lions in South Africa, click here.
Read More: SPCA animal rescue near Pinetown captured on camera
More on East Coast Radio:
Image courtesy of iloveatiya/Twitter