Media overhypes lion

Arizona Docent

Arizona Docent

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
This article was on the news items that flash on the right side of ZooChat. Does the media have to sensationalize everything? The Madison Zoo (Wisconsin, USA) apparently had a birth of a "rare" african lion. (Oh yes, lions are so rare in zoos). Furthermore, they state there are only 186 african lions in captivity worldwide!!! Are they kidding? There are individual game farms in South Africa that probably have that many. And what about all the private breeders here in America? I mean there are probably two dozen in zoos here in Arizona alone. And A LOT MORE in midewest and southern states where private ownership is more common.

They probably meant there are 186 in the SSP run by the AZA. But of course that is not what they said.

Rare African lion cub born at Madison zoo - chicagotribune.com
 
Using the word 'rare' is rediculous, though I wonder if its use is because journalists have to spice up their stories in order to sell them, or if it was used in the zoo's official media report. It may well be just a copy-paste from the zoo's media report, at least I cannot see any sign of that the journalist applied even the slightest of independent thinking.

I have seen the word 'rare' used for Hamadryas Baboons, Praire Dogs, etc. I have also seen a hippopotamus refered to as rhinoceros. So I'm not in the least shocked.
 
There may be fewer lions in the wild than in the past, but I think the wording here is indeed a bit of a stretch :D I've heard of Olive Baboons being called rare, too. Odd.
 
African lions actually are in trouble in the wild. Something like 10-15,000 and rapidly decreasing. Although I do suspect the article was more in the line of media hype than anything
 
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