The Lion Whisperer.A much loved - and perhaps misunderstood - fixture on the African social media landscape. With millions following his every move, Kevin Richardson has never been far from conservation or animal welfare controversy. But is it all deserved? Does he play a role in conservation, and if so, how? Is he running a petting zoo? Why are you doing this? Where do your animals come from? Are you their last resort? Are you breeding? All legitimate questions that should be asked, not just of Kevin, but of all in the sanctuary space. I asked him these questions - and others.With upwards of 12 thousand lion in captivity in South Africa alone, the mistreatment of lion is in itself a pandemic that is tarnishing the reputation of Africa. Trophy hunting and the captive lion breeding industry at large are despicable and should be banned. But in banning them, we must acknowledge that we will inadvertently create an animal welfare nightmare that if not astutely discussed and managed, could lead to even further public backlash and worse still, the furthered suffering of innocent animals. As we consider the future of the thousands of captive lions, we can no longer sit at a distance and lambast those trying their best to give legitimate sanctuary to these innocent victims of man’s greed. We must engage in proper dialogue if we are to find a unifying way of dealing with this impending crisis. Many of these captive lion will be slaughtered or perhaps even euthanised. But those that escape death, a robust gold standard of sanctuary should be sought if we are to successfully navigate these waters ahead.So this is the first in what I hope to be a number of interviews with Kevin. I was sceptical at first, but I was greeted by an intelligent man who is considered, informed, experienced, qualified and deeply passionate. Do I agree with everything discussed? I am not sure yet. There is so much to understand and learn still but what is proven in this interview is that questions and listening lead to common ground and understanding, not judgement or statements or tired rhetoric that serves no-one, least of all the lions either in his care or indeed in anyone else’s. If you have questions of your own, please let me know and I will put them to Kevin in part two.(Recorded on site and in the field. So it's not perfect, but it is authentic.)Simon

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