Annually, thousands of hunters from Europe and the US travel to the region for ‘trophy hunting’ and bring home dead animals to display on their walls as souvenirs. Mario was destined for this cruelty before FOUR PAWS stepped in.  

Mario was born in 2006 at a Zoologique, a Safari Park in France. While initial transfer plans were being made for Mario by the park to a lodge in South Africa, an investigation uncovered that the lodge bred and sold lions for trophy hunting.

Although hunts were not offered on the farm, lion hunting packages could be booked and carried out in other areas. Canned hunting is the hunting of captive bred and often hand raised animals/predators in a small enclosure from which they have no chance of escaping.  

As soon as FOUR PAWS was informed about the plans, they came to Mario’s rescue, along with his sister Marion and arranged for their transfer to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in 2010. FOUR PAWS is campaigning for a total ban on the trade in big cats and their parts, as well as the cruel practice of canned hunting.

Sadly, Marion passed away in 2022 due to health complications.