Born Free Foundation "The bitter bond" by Engine

Born Free's animated ad has a brutal twist that exposes the truth behind lion tourism and all those cute Instagram photos.

The campaign raises awareness of the exploitation of South Africa’s lions and urges people to sign a petition calling on the government to stop canned hunting. A film tells the story of a lion keeper and her cub. Relying on the device of misdirection, the narrative initially paints a heartwarming portrait of their bond and portrays the keeper as a nurturing presence. At the last moment, however, it becomes clear that she has actually sold the lion and profited from its death. It is set to the Academy Award-winning song Born Free, performed by Matt Monro. The work was created by James Hodson and Jason Keet, and directed by Daniel Salles and Paulo Garcia through Blinkink and Zombie Studio.