Latest news with #Cecil
Global News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Ontario adding 150 more jail beds in Niagara, Milton, Sudbury
Ontario's solicitor general says the province is adding 150 beds to three jails across the province using modular construction. Michael Kerzner made the announcement Thursday at the Niagara Detention Centre, which will expand by 50 spaces, as will the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, and the Cecil Facer Youth Centre in Sudbury, which is also being converted to an adult facility. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Construction is expected to begin next year and cost the province more than $180 million. The announcement comes not long after the province's ombudsman raised concerns about an overcrowding 'crisis' in Ontario's correctional facilities, saying some are operating at more than 150 per cent of their capacity, compromising safety for inmates and staff alike. Premier Doug Ford has also recently been pushing the federal government for stricter bail laws and urging judges and justices of the peace not to let violent, repeat offenders out on bail when they are charged with a new crime. Story continues below advertisement Provincial jails hold people accused of a crime but not out on bail, as well as those serving sentences of two years less a day, but the vast majority fit into the first category and have not been convicted.
South Wales Argus
07-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Ruth Jones MP renews calls to ban UK trophy hunting imports
Ruth Jones, MP for Newport West and Islwyn, hosted a parliamentary event on July 3 organised by animal welfare groups FOUR PAWS UK, Born Free, and Humane World for Animals UK, marking 10 years since the lion's death reignited global debate over trophy hunting. Ms Jones said: "I was proud to stand on a manifesto which committed to ban the import of hunting trophies last year and deliver the biggest boost to animal welfare in a generation. "I hope that we can be the Parliament to finally deliver this legislation and can protect more animals from having to suffer the same fate as Cecil." Cecil was killed in Zimbabwe in July 2015 by American dentist Walter Palmer, who shot the animal with a bow and arrow. The lion died after 10 hours of suffering. Dame Joanna Lumley, patron of the Born Free Foundation, also spoke at the event. She said: "The brutal, senseless killing of Cecil a decade ago shocked and enraged me as it shocked and enraged the world. "Cecil's death cannot be in vain."
Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
We make our living from lion hunts in South Africa — why would we stop?
There are endangered species and then there is Hannes Wessels. An avid hunter himself but not of lions, his organisation represents dozens of farmers who breed the big cats for slaughter. If the South African government succeeds in its mission to end breeding farms, such as the one Wessels runs in Limpopo province, he and his members will be out of business. The country has the largest captive-bred lion population in the world, including about 300 commercial farms and roughly 8,000 of the big cats. They are used in trophy hunts, exported live, or their bones are sent to Asia for use in a traditional medicine known as tiger-bone wine. Ten years after the killing of a Zimbabwean lion named Cecil by an American dentist made headlines around the world, the fate of the animals is dividing the country. Cecil, the 13-year-old leader of his pride who lived in the Hwange National Park, was shot with a bow and arrow by Walter Palmer, who reportedly paid $50,000 to take part in the hunt. Presidents and celebrities denounced his killing, the US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel teared up on live television. An image of Cecil was beamed on to the Empire State Building in New York to raise awareness of trophy hunting. Despite high-profile campaigns, including by Dame Joanna Lumley, a patron of the Born Free Foundation wildlife charity, change has been slow to bring about. 'We need a ban on the import of hunting trophies here in Britain,' she said this week. 'Cecil's death cannot be in vain.' South Africa's environment ministry is attempting to phase out the industry, initially by inviting lion breeders to voluntarily exit the business — although it is providing no incentives for them to do so. It has suggested the breeding must stop, but has not provided a deadline. In a message to The Times, Dion George, the environment minister, insisted that the process of phasing out captive breeding was continuing. 'No new facilities are permitted … Breeding prohibition process initiated,' he said. Campaigners suggest that for all the talk, little has been done. 'Since Cecil's death in 2015, global outrage has not led to a significant reduction in trophy hunting in South Africa,' said Fiona Miles, director at Four Paws in South Africa, an international organisation for the protection of big cats. 'Implementation has been slow and no legal ban has been enacted yet. Between 2015 and 2020, South Africa exported over 2,100 lion trophies, primarily from captive-bred lions,' she said. Wessels, who heads the South African Predator Association, insists that breeding lions to be killed is a 'conservation tool' that 'contributes to the survival of species and habitat'. He added: 'Then obviously there's an economic contribution — trophy hunting brings in substantial revenue to the South African economy, particularly in the rural areas where job opportunities are limited.' He said the industry supported about 8,000 jobs in a country with 50 per cent youth unemployment. He claimed that if it was closed, workers did not have the skills to transition into other jobs and it would have an undesirable knock-on effect. • British woman killed by elephant in Zambian safari park For all the outrage about Cecil's death, in Africa many people sprang to the defence of hunting. A Zimbabwean academic, Goodwell Nzou, wrote an op-ed for The New York Times at the time headlined 'In Zimbabwe, we don't cry for lions'. Nzou said that when he heard about Cecil's death 'the village boy inside me instinctively cheered: one lion fewer to menace families like mine'. He mocked the reaction in the West, asking: 'Did all those Americans signing petitions understand that lions actually kill people? … Did Jimmy Kimmel choke up because Cecil was murdered or because he confused him with Simba from The Lion King?' He wasn't alone. When asked about the trophy-hunting controversy at the time, Zimbabwe's baffled minister of information responded: 'What lion?' Jess de Klerk, chief executive of the Professional Hunters' Association of South Africa, said lion hunting contributed approximately $40 million directly to the economy of South Africa. Both de Klerk and Wessels stressed that their organisations did not allow canned lion hunting, which is illegal because animals are slaughtered in fenced areas. Miles added: 'Most lions used in canned hunting are bred on commercial farms.' It is not only lions that are under threat. Other big cat species, including leopards, which are at risk of extinction, are also favourites of trophy hunters. A recent report found that more than 700 leopard trophies were exported from Africa in 2023, mainly to the US. It added that the world record-holding trophy hunter was Steven Chancellor, one of President Trump's key donors. • Why young people and women are taking up hunting in France And then there is what Miles calls the 'little-known and alarming issue' of South Africa's tiger trade. Despite tigers being non-native to Africa, the country is the biggest farmer and exporter of tigers in the world. They are bred — often in squalid conditions — for trophy hunting, their bones and live export, and the trade isn't regulated owing to legal loopholes. 'The problem is there's so much money involved in hunting,' said Wessels. 'The moment you close the captive-breds, they're going to start hunting the wild lions.' There are only 3,000 of those wild lions left in South Africa.
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
'We exposed the brutal killing of Cecil the lion - we had to flee our homes'
Speaking for the first time on the 10th anniversary of Cecil's death, Shane Rodrigues urged the Government to announce a date for a ban to stop hunters bringing trophies into the UK The son of the man who exposed the scandal around the slaughter of the much loved lion Cecil - and the identity of his killer - urged the government to ban trophy hunting imports into the UK. Shane Rodrigues and his father Johnny blew the whistle on American dentist Walter Palmer, who brutally killed Cecil in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. This week marks 10 years since he was deliberately lured out of a protected area. Fatally wounded, Cecil, the 13-year-old leader of two prides, was left to suffer for hours until he was found and finally killed the following day. His tracking collar was removed and hidden by the hunting party in an attempt to conceal the fact that they'd killed a prominent lion who was being monitored as part of a research project. Shane, 42, has spoken for the first time to the Mirror about the ordeal that shocked the world, and sent the American recreational big-game hunter into hiding. Backing our campaign to end trophy hunting imports, he said: 'An extraordinary international chorus of condemnation followed. It also led to credible death threats from powerful vested interests. I, my mother Cheryl - who co-founded the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force with Johnny - and my sister and brother-in-law had to flee our home and leave the country. My parents have now sadly passed away but I am working to fulfil their legacy. ' Cecil was shot with a crossbow and rifle, before being beheaded and skinned. Johnny, then the head of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said the use of a bow and arrow heralded a new trend aimed at avoiding arrest. "It's more silent. If you want to do anything illegal, that's the way to do it," he said at the time. But the lion, which had a distinctive black mane, did not die immediately and was followed for more than 40 hours before it was shot with a rifle, Mr Rodrigues said. The animal had a GPS collar for a research project by UK-based Oxford University, allowing authorities to track its movements. A year after the incident, Shane explained how his family was forced to leave Zimbabwe. He said: 'We made the decision to leave in late 2016 because we were tipped off that the whole family was placed on a hit list by a top politician at the time for exposing his involvement in a very serious and sensitive rhino horn and ivory trade case. It was heartbreaking to have to say goodbye forever.' More than 240,000 trophy items from species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have been exported globally since 2015. These include trophies from elephants, leopards, giraffes, and many more animals at risk of extinction. In the UK, despite overwhelming public and political support for a ban and repeated promises from successive governments, the import of 'sick' hunting trophies continues. Since Cecil's death, British hunters have legally brought in hundreds of trophies, including 99 from lions, to the country. Shane, who now lives in The Algarve, Portugal, where he works as a mechanic, said: 'It makes me very upset and angry that hunters still go to Africa. This has to change. "Many countries implemented bans on Lion and other trophies after 'Cecilgate'. Pledges were made by successive Defra Ministers too - but they failed to translate into action. 'At the General Election, Labour promised to implement the ban once and for all. I welcome this, and strongly urge you to announce a date. I know my parents will welcome it from above.' Last night, celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley, parliamentarians and animal welfare campaigners, supported an event in Westminster, hosted by Ruth Jones MP for Newport West and Islwyn and organised by FOUR PAWS UK, Born Free and Humane World for Animals UK, to mark 10 years since Cecil the lion was killed. FOUR PAWS UK Country Director, Sonul Badiani-Hamment said: "In the ten years since Cecil was killed, trophy hunting has continued, and thousands of the world's most magnificent animals have met a similar fate - slaughtered for nothing more than a hunter's gratification. "Cecil's death should have been the catalyst for change. Instead, the killing goes on with more animals reduced to ornaments, rugs or coffee tables by those who take pleasure in their suffering. We cannot afford to waste any more time. The Government must now act with urgency, honour its commitment, and finally deliver a ban on the import of hunting trophies into the UK.' Dame Joanna Lumley, Born Free Patron added: "The brutal, senseless killing of Cecil a decade ago shocked and enraged me as it shocked and enraged the world. A proud, beautiful creature murdered for 'sport' in a display of senseless cruelty. It was an act of barbarism emblematic of the utterly grim and outdated practice of trophy hunting. We need a ban on the import of hunting trophies here in Britain. Cecil's death cannot be in vain." Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane World for Animals UK, said: 'Since Cecil was killed, trophies from over 1,000 endangered and threatened animals have been destined for export to the UK. The Government must bring in a ban as promised, and stop British hunters shipping back hundreds more sick souvenirs.' Earlier this week a delegation led by Eduardo Gonçalves including Masai leader Boniface Mpario marched to Downing Street to deliver a petition by LionAid which has amassed nearly a million signatures. Alongside it was a powerful open letter signed by an array of public figures including Sir Michael Caine, Catherine Zeta Jones, Sir Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Liam Gallagher, Cliff Richard, Dr Jane Goodall, Priscilla Presley and Chris Packham, calling on the UK government to act now. Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said: 'It would have been bad enough if Cecil was just a horrible one-off. He wasn't. Since Cecil was killed, 10,000 more lions have been shot by trophy hunters. Every year, tens of thousands of endangered animals are gunned down for so-called sport. We are in an age of utter insanity. What are we doing killing so many wild animals?!'
Rhyl Journal
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Rhyl Journal
Llandudno friends raise over £12k on chaotic Rome road trip
Ten friends took on the Home to Rome challenge, driving three old or cheap cars from North Wales to the Colosseum in Rome to raise funds for Hope House Tŷ Gobaith children's hospices. The journey was full of mishaps and laughter, according to Martin Krol, organiser and garage owner. The team on the Dover-Calais ferry (Image: Supplied) Mr Krol said: "We had our moments. "James locked his keys in his car before we'd even left the country, and we had to break in. "We had a couple of mental breakdowns as well as the cars. "James' Volvo even broke down in central Rome outside the Vatican. "We had armed police pointing guns at us in seconds – they don't mess around over there. "There were four of us with our heads under the bonnet trying to fix it as fast as we could." Three of the motors on the cross-Channel ferry (Image: Supplied) Despite the challenges, the team raised £12,586, including a £100 donation from a fellow traveller at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Mr Krol said: "We're thrilled with the amount we have raised and want to thank every single person who donated. "I'm also proud of all the lads who used their own time and money to come out on this adventure and support the charity." The team attracted a following online and were even recognised on the Dover-Calais ferry by a couple from Llandudno returning from their wedding in Poland. After reaching Rome, the friends split up to continue their travels, with some heading to Paris and others to the south of France. Once back in North Wales, they auctioned off the four vehicles, affectionately named Pink Panther, Noah's Ark, Cecil, and Veronica, raising another £3,500 for the hospice. The team in Pisa at the famous Leaning Tower (Image: Supplied) Sian Golding, fundraiser for Hope House Tŷ Gobaith, praised the team's efforts. Ms Golding said: "What a brilliant effort by Martin and the team. "They have managed to raise an incredible sum which will help us on our mission to reach and support every local child and family living with a life-threatening condition. "They must have made some real memories and stories on the road, and their efforts will help to make even more precious quality moments for the families we support and care for. "Thank you." Hope House Children's Hospices provide specialist nursing care and support to more than 750 children and their families across Shropshire, Cheshire, and Wales. The charity relies on public donations for most of its £10 million annual running costs.
