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Lion Burgers in Arizona: Creative or Cruel?

Posted by emcnulty on June 24, 2010
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african-lion-male_436_600x450.jpgIn what can only be called an ill-conceived publicity stunt, Il Vinaio restaurant in Mesa, Arizona added a rather strange new item to the menu to celebrate the World Cup: a burger made with African lion meat. The unusual meat was bought by restaurant owner Cameron Selogie from a USDA-regulated free-range lion farm located in Illinois. Selogie has said he is preparing for pickets from animal activists, and that he has already received over 150 emails protesting the new burger as well as a bomb threat. Selogie initially received positive feedback from customers who tried the meal, prompting him to order five more pounds.

Lions are listed as a protected species, but are not endangered.

Read the full story from The Arizona Republic here.

Photo: Chris Johns for National Geographic

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  1. greeneta
    June 24, 2010, 2:25 pm

    Creative or cruel? Why is this even an option.
    Lions are a THREATENED SPECIES!
    It should be illegal to eat them.
    Would we like to ad lions to the endangered species list?
    Humans are not designed to eat meat. We don’t have the jaws, claws etc. to chase down and overtake our prey and rip them apart and eat them. Humans have seen carnivores eating animals and have chose to do the same even though it is causes disease and death. We have weapons, without weapons we would not be eating meat because our bodies are not designed to eat animals.
    Meat-eaters: have claws
    Herbivores: no claws
    Humans: no claws
    Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
    Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
    Humans: perspire through skin pores
    Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
    Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
    Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
    Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
    Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
    Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
    Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
    Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
    Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
    Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits.
    Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
    Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits
    Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
    Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
    Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains

  2. Lou
    June 24, 2010, 11:09 pm

    I read through the article waiting for the line that said the story was a joke and a publicity stunt but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
    I’m a bit confused as to what is required to get approval and certification for meat farming. If an animal is farmed, it doesn’t matter what the species is?
    I am still hoping it is a publicity stunt and a joke.

  3. Guy
    June 25, 2010, 4:28 pm

    LOU: Your quote beyond shows the selfishness and greed of people -”If an animal is farmed it doesn’t matter what animal it is”!
    Animals should not be farmed!
    A lion is a perfect example of a carnivore. They can chase down their pray and subdue them with their strong carnivorous jaw and teeth. And rip the flesh and eat their meal. Humans cannot and never will be able to do this. Instead we’ve come up with weapons to kill animals and cook their meat and smother them in ketchup.
    It’s a fact that eating meat is bad for our health. Why, because we are not supposed to eat meat! Sorry but humans are NOT carnivores, NEVER will be carnivores and SHOULD NOT KEEP ANIMALS IN PENS, CAGES, TANKS, ETC. all for one purpose of killing and eating them. That’s not how their life was meant to live. They are not products on an assembly line – they have lives, feelings, families and every hope of survival just like the animal that treats them so poorly-humans.