The campaign also seeks to engage South Africans to think creatively to end the cruel treatment of captive lions. 

World Lion Day falls on 10 August every year. 'Free Your Creativity' was launched on Tuesday, 1 August. 

According to the duo, thousands of lions across the country suffer unimaginable cruelty, while they are exploited for financial gain, entertainment, trophy hunting and traditional medicine.

They add that commercial captive breeding facilities subject these creatures to:
  • substandard living conditions
  • inadequate diets
  • lack of enrichment, and
  • insufficient veterinary care.

The lions' physical and psychological well-being is deeply compromised which can lead to:
  • self-mutilation
  • abnormal behaviour, and
  • a tragic loss of their natural essence.

The 'Free Your Creativity' campaign empowers creative South Africans to express solidarity and compassion for these predators. Its mission is to change the lives of over 8 000 captive lions in South Africa through:
  • drawing
  • sculpting
  • dancing
  • poetry
  • photography, or
  • any other form of artistic expression.

The campaign launched on Tuesday, 1 August, which was marked by a live stream event where World Animal Protection and Blood Lions shed light on the challenges faced by captive lions in South Africa.

On Thursday, 10 August the campaign's momentum will peak, calling for collective action in support of Minister Creecy's intent for an ultimately mandatory phased-out release of captive lions.

'Free Your Creativity' invites everyone to participate in creating a wide range of artwork and creative expressions shared with the hashtag '#PrideNotCruelty'. Each creative expression becomes a call for change, a stride towards a South African future without lions in captivity. 

"We are inviting the people of South Africa to 'Free Your Creativity' in support of lions. They are magnificent creatures, but over 8 000 lions are spending their entire lives in captivity, where they are suffering and can never fully express their natural behaviour," says Eugenia Morales, campaign lead at World Animal Protection. 

"Together, we can create a movement calling to end the commercial captive lion breeding industry in South Africa — join us," concludes Morales. 

For more information, visit www.treeshake.com. You can also follow Treeshake on X or on Instagram.