In 2015, the killing of Cecil the lion by a Minnesota dentist created a tsunami of emotion around the world. However, this global outcry did little to deter international trophy hunting. In this world, the majestic WHITE LION, one of the rarest wild animals to inhabit the planet, is unequivocally the most prized and valuable of all animal trophies.

HEART OF A LION will address this global crisis featuring the iconic WHITE LION as a symbol of the fragility of all endangered species and will follow, in the words of David Suzuki, “the catastrophic course of our bio-spheres”. It will explore  the disconnect between man and nature, the commodification of animals and wilderness, the economic and political forces behind the lion “bone trade” and “canned hunting” and investigates the dynamics of wildlife reserves, zoos, circuses and the international trophy hunting cartels.

The World Wild Life Fund’s last “Living Planet Report” of  Oct 2016 indicates that “Global populations of wildlife species have plunged 60% since 1970 and wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate."  It projects that if the current course is not dramatically altered, two-thirds of the wildlife population will disappear by 2020.

 It is incomprehensible to consider the WWF statistics and the impact this will have on future generations. The situation is so critical that the UK Telegraph recently reported Prince Harry as saying “endangered animals are God's test for humanity and if we cannot save wild animals from extinction then humanity is in danger too”.

Our documentary explores why extinction is looming at such a ferocious rate and what can realistically be done to put on the brakes.

In 2015, the killing of Cecil the lion by a Minnesota dentist created a tsunami of emotion around the world.   While the global outcry did reduce international trophy hunting, it dramatically increased trade in “lion bones” where the traditional use of ground up bones of the near extinct tiger are now being replaced with those of lions in order to meet the voracious Chinese market for “medicinal” Tiger Wine.

The film explores solutions that have been successful for other “indicator species” such as the SPIRIT BEAR of coastal British Columbia, whose hard won conservation protected the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. It examines the crucial role of indigenous tribes within these complex

Documentaries do matter.  Recently, two high profile documentaries on the ivory trade, Gambling on Extinction and The Ivory Game, aided the mounting political pressure relating to the drastic decline of elephant and rhino populations, motivating the Chinese government  to announce it will end its domestic ivory trade by the end of 2017.

This documentary is another step in bringing awareness to the critical needs of the planet – recognizing that wild animals are a crucial part of our planet’s bio-diversity, and that the only way to change the lightning speed of wild life extinction is for individuals to rally against the domination of nature by corporations and governments and demand a re-assessment of the ecology between man, nature, and animals.