An Entertainment Abuses Article from All-Creatures.org



Share

Good News for Animals held Captive at Lion Habitat Ranch

From Annoula Wylderich
December 2023

It’s rare for regulatory agencies to act on these types of offenses, so we can be thankful for the precedent which they set. This may be one organization that will think twice before issuing falsehoods in an attempt to solicit funding. The exposure they suffered in the media should also send a message to others that it doesn’t pay to deceive.

Lioness
Wild Lion photo from Kevinsphotos, free for use under the Pixabay Content License

In late summer of ’23, I received a solicitation in the mail from Las Vegas-based Lion Habitat Ranch, an organization featuring captive exotic animals for photo ops and viewing. The letter made misleading and outright fraudulent claims in order to extract donations from kindhearted donors.
For example, a petition was included to “Save Lions from Caged Hunting” by shutting down hunting ranches across the U.S. when, in fact, we have none since the government recognized lions in 2015 as a threatened species which is protected under the ESA; therefore, they cannot be legally hunted in this country.

The letter’s author, Keith Evans, indicated there are perhaps hundreds of these ranches that permit people to shoot lions—a provably false statement.

Mr. Evans went on to express that he founded LHR to give the cats a permanent home where “they would be safe and loved.” What he failed to mention is that he originally established his facility as an “exotic animal compound” back in 1999 while transporting the animals to and from the MGM Grand strip hotel on a daily basis for display purposes (this can be verified in a 3/4/15 article in the Las Vegas Review Journal).

The MGM closed the display in 2012, and Evans created his nonprofit in 2014.
Following the closure, Evans bred his lions, thereby increasing their numbers. The county considered shutting him down in 2015 due to zoning violations, public safety concerns, and the fact that he had 46 lions at the time. He was additionally cited for adding different species including one lone giraffe, emus, and ostriches (none of which were on his permit).

In his solicitation letter, he also implied that his animals were in danger due to low funds; when the media questioned him about this, he changed his story. In fact, his finances are in great shape from the revenue he brings in annually - thanks to his animals.

I initially filed a complaint with the Nevada Attorney General, which resulted in a reply that they were closing the investigation. After multiple calls, an appeal, and the persistence of a local reporter, the office re-opened the investigation and some action was finally taken.

Although it was disappointing that no penalties were levied, it’s rare for regulatory agencies to act on these types offenses, so we can be thankful for the precedent which they set. This may be one organization that will think twice before issuing falsehoods in an attempt to solicit funding. The exposure they suffered in the media should also send a message to others that it doesn’t pay to deceive.

To see the complaint letter, evidence, and follow-up stories, please refer to the links below. It’s always nice when we have a coup in the animal welfare world!

INFORMATION

Return to Entertainment Abuses Articles
Read more at Legislation/Policy Articles