Caged lions roam at a farm in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The country has four times as many lions living in captivity as in the wild. From the series Lion.David Chancellor—kiosk
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
Caged lions roam at a farm in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The country has four times as many lions living in captivity as in the wild. From the series Lion. David Chancellor—kioskA captive bred lion is petted at a lion farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion.
David Chancellor—kioskA lion dines on an animal carcass, in a lion farm. Eastern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion. David Chancellor—kioskLion cubs are removed from their mothers when first born and bottle feed to ensure their survival. Income is generated from tourists who pay to pet lion cubs. Once habituated in this way, they are less likely to be frightened of hunters and more likely to run towards humans when they are finally released to be hunted, thus resembling a charge and intensifying the experience for an unsuspecting hunter. David Chancellor—kioskA trophy lioness lies in a skinning shed, her blood hosed down with a water pump. The lioness was killed by a hunter with a high powered bow and arrow prior to skinning. Northern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion.David Chancellor—kioskLion skulls and bones in a taxidermists' studio. Eastern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion.
David Chancellor—kioskLioness in a skinning shed. Kalahari, Northern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion.
David Chancellor—kioskLions in Northern Cape, South Africa. The country has four times as many lions living in captivity as in the wild. Many of these animals are reared specifically to be shot and owned by wealthy tourists from Europe and North America.From the series Lion.David Chancellor—kioskLions look eagerly at a farmhand holding a dead sheep. Farmers often feed lions animals unfit for human consumption. Eastern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion. David Chancellor—kioskHunters load a trophy lion on their vehicle. Kalahari, Northern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion. David Chancellor—kioskA lioness head awaits shipment from a South African taxidermist to the U.S.Big-game hunters often keep lion heads as trophies of the animals they have killed. The three biggest U.S. airlines banned such shipments on Aug. 3. Eastern Cape, South Africa. From the series Lion. David Chancellor—kioskA white lion trophy is prepared at a taxidermist’s studio in Somerset East, South Africa. From the series Lion.David Chancellor—kiosk
