![DC 7109.45 001 lion farm, eastern cape, south africa-from the se DC 7109.45 001 lion farm, eastern cape, south africa-from the se](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7109-45-001-lion-farm-eastern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor1.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
When the World learned in late July about the death of Cecil the Lion, a beloved resident of a national park in Zimbabwe who had been lured away by hunters, then killed and beheaded for a trophy, outrage came swiftly. Walter James Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil, became the target of online death threats. Investigations have been launched on two continents. And big airlines rushed to announce they would no longer fly the trophies on their planes.
But while Cecil’s death has put a new focus on illegal poaching, other hunters are pursuing their own trophies—and it’s perfectly legal. That’s because of another, less publicized side of big-game trophy hunting: the sanctioned stalking of animals that are bred, grown and kept in captivity specifically so that the right to kill them can be sold to wealthy sportsmen.
It’s called “canned hunting,” and for five years, photographer David Chancellor has been documenting the practice. His images, taken at ranches in South Africa, show where lions and other big game await the same fate as Cecil—just without the global mourning.
David Chancellor is a multi award winning documentary photographer based in South Africa.
Myles Little, who edited this photo essay, is an associate photo editor at TIME.
Justin Worland is a writer for TIME. Follow him on Twitter at @justinworland
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![DC 7115.53 001 feeding captive breed lion, lion farm, eastern ca Feeding captive breed lion, lion farm, eastern ca](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7115-53-001-feeding-captive-breed-lion-lion-farm-eastern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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![DC 016.49 001 trophy lioness, skinning shed, northern cape, sout DC 016.49 001 trophy lioness, skinning shed, northern cape, sout](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-016-49-001-trophy-lioness-skinning-shed-northern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![DC 7100.49 001 lion skulls and bones, taxidermists studio, easte DC 7100.49 001 lion skulls and bones, taxidermists studio, easte](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7100-49-001-lion-skulls-and-bones-taxidermists-studio-eastern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![DC 5901.49 001 lioness, skinning shed, kalahari, northern cape, DC 5901.49 001 lioness, skinning shed, kalahari, northern cape,](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-5901-49-001-lioness-skinning-shed-kalahari-northern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![DC 7088.41 001 lion, northern cape, south africa-from the series DC 7088.41 001 lion, northern cape, south africa-from the series](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7088-41-001-lion-northern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![DC 7114.46 001 feeding captive breed lion, lion farm, eastern ca DC 7114.46 001 feeding captive breed lion, lion farm, eastern ca](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7114-46-001-feeding-captive-breed-lion-lion-farm-eastern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![DC 7898.43 001 hunters with trophy lion, kalahari, northern cape DC 7898.43 001 hunters with trophy lion, kalahari, northern cape](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-7898-43-001-hunters-with-trophy-lion-kalahari-northern-cape-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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![DC 4743.50 001 white lion trophy, taxidermists studio, somerset DC 4743.50 001 white lion trophy, taxidermists studio, somerset](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dc-4743-50-001-white-lion-trophy-taxidermists-studio-somerset-east-south-africa-from-the-series-lion-david-chancellor.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com