Chinese have been eating cats for decades...Nothing new here.

Right, nothing new here except maybe exotic meats sold in a taco restaurant. I sent my father some lion steaks a few years ago for Father's Day and he enjoyed the meat.

Yeah, Dano...the Chinese also have been eating rats, drink whale sp*rm and BBQ rhino t*sticles, does that make it right? Remember, they are the same bunch who think nothing of adding LEAD to just about every product that they ship over here: Toothpaste, Dog food, .99 cent trinkets laced with lead for children, drywall, etc...

Sorry, I will pass. I don't want to eat Simba.

I am a vegetarian, so I admit I am biased, but eating the most majestic animal on Earth is just downright wrong. We shouldn't be offering the opportunity for people all around the world to financially benefit from our "curiosity" of what certain meats taste like. Many of the worlds species are being ruthlessly hunted to the point of extinction for nothing more than profit because certain nations eat them or use their parts in mass. Examples: whales, fish (Japan), elephants (Africa), carrier pigeons, buffalo (America-historically), etc.

Let's have all those wanting lion meat to sign up in advance to be fed to lions. Just think we can accelerate the extinction of another species. Like they need more pressure from we humans. Could be a silver lining in this. Once we eliminate the animals we can resort to cannabilsm. Wonder what people are worth in advance? A person Taco??

@infotainer

They aren't serving tacos of endangered species, thus, the prospect of lions suddenly going extinct because of this is unlikely.

Humans are predators by nature. Humans consume other organisms, whether it be reptile, insect, or mammal. It's Nature at work.

This is a barbarian practice and I find it disgusting that a restaurant in the US is offering exoctics.

I eat about 40lbs of Venison a year. However, I'll pass on Lion they are listed as Vulnerable which is one notch above endangered and I refuse to contribute to anything that might lead to their extinction.

I find it strange that people have a problem with the way things naturally are, such as omnivorous organisms consuming other organisms......

Kane - Lions are an ENDANGERED SPECIES, that is why this is out of the ordinary. So either this is an elaborate hoax to get some publicity or we need to send the EPA and FDA to check this place out.

Ken Johnson-306874

Yeah, Dano...the Chinese also have been eating rats, drink whale sp*rm and BBQ rhino t*sticles, does that make it right?

Doesnt make it wrong either because its not in line with your ignorant train of thought.

@Tim

Lions are actually not an endangered species. Sure, not the most populous species, but not endangered either. How does one account for such a population status? By making the taco $9........

Geez, who is the ignorant one here, hummmm

Yah, just cause the animal is raised on a lion farm (must be fun for the lions...not. Can't wait to see the "lion mills" people come up with) doesn't mean no toxins or parasites. Not into eating carnivores. That's part of what makes us different from them.

Hey Ken & Mark: I was trying to make the point that people have eaten cat meat for centuries. I have no cat in this race so to speak.

Now drinking Whale S*erm that's just not right. Barney might disagree with that.

In a taco. How can one be sure it is Lion and not the neighbors Kitty?

Rattlesnakes are a predator. But that meat is good. It's whiter than most fish, and is low in cholesterol.

Added benefit, one less rattlesnake roaming around.

Just make sure you are not using rat poison, or that you are far from neighbors that might. You might get a big dose of coumadin.

They'rrrrrre GRRRRREAT!

Thank you for the humor. It was starting to get to me.

Andrea, exotic dancers, exotic meats whats the difference, it's all supply and demand.

LOL I just pictured the beginning of Disneys Lion King where the monkey is holding Simba....and then he puts him in a taco and eats him XD

I'm just glad my city is being talked about for reasons other than the shooting.

I don't think eating a Lion is the right thing to do, however I just placed an order for two because how F***ing often will I get to try this?

The lion is already dead, the least I can do for the poor bastard is eat him/her. It would do the same for you :)

Thanks Chase!

It brings a tear to my eye just knowing that I would be covered with savory sauce and enjoyed by the family!

Just thinking about it makes my stomach GROWL.

I think this is not good. Sure the animal aren't endangered, YET. Boo to this guy and his taco's!

Thanks for actually contributing a sound argument, unlike most of the other commenters whose only objection is that "it's gross!" or "they're endangered!" (they're not).

Yours is perhaps the only logical reason for not eating lion. Still, the article doesn't say where the meat comes from. There was a different article on MSNBC awhile back, that I can't seem to find now, that talked about eating lion meat and did mention that the animals basically came from a lion "farm". If that's the case, I would think toxins and parasites shouldn't be an issue.

I have actually heard that eating carnivores is not very healthy and that we are supposed to stick to things that eat grains. I don't think that being on a farm or in the wild makes the difference. It's because you are eating meat from an animal that derives it's nutrition from meat as opposed to grains.

Another good point, but in that context it's not much different from the argument for organic foods.

Fish are carnivores, but yet widely consumed!

and high in mercury too. yummmmmmmm

Ahh...lions aren't endangered.

Lions aren't endangered.

Actually lions are endangered and according to some studies may be extinct in the wild by 2020. They just have not been recognized as such by US government agencies.

My link to National Geographic was cut out but look there and you can find the stats.

Ahh... but Lora you are wrong, they are not endangered. and "yes they are"(such a clever name) maybe some types of lions are endangered but your comon lion that everyone talks about is not extinct.

Dang it! Why do I have to live in minnesota?! I could be eating lion! I'll have to look into ordering some. Mmmmm, I think I'm drooling.

Lions ARE endangered. Critically endangered, technically. There are very few left that roam free, very few. So, this type of behavior by this taco restaurant is exploitive at best, and should be banned. I would hope people would boycott this place, the same as the restaurant in LA that served whale meat. Come on Americans, we can do better than this. This is typical of the Chinese who sell endangered species and exotic wildlife to people illegally. Shouldn't we be better than the Chinese?

John-1111

My comment was that some studies show that lions (yes the big African lions we all know) may be extinct in the wild by 2020. Not that they are now. And attempting to make fun of others only diminishes your point.

True, is a well established fact that African Lions are endangered. Animals are put on the endangered list to prevent them from becoming extinct!

One of the reasons they are endangered is that in addition to being hunted by people, male lions, in particular, kill the female's cubs. Unfortunantly the United States does not list them as endangered at this time.

Propagating the view that they should be placed on a menu is morally wrong!

Well, y'all got me curious to I went to National Geographic's site and the African Lion's status is "Vulnerable" - not endangered or critically endangered. The second page I looked at (and I believe the one 'yes they are' was referring to) is here, but I don't see where it says they may be extinct by then, just that the population is dropping and they put up some big, ominous question marks for how many African Lions will be left in 2020.

There are seven different levels of protections status on the IUCN Red List, ranging from Least Concern (LC) to Extinct (EX). Vulnerable comes before endangered, and means the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term.

PyretQueen

Thank you for taking the time to look at the information referenced. Hopefully others will do the same and figure out just how much trouble big cats are in.

Dereck & Beverly Joubert, wildlife conservationists and filmmakers, have stated on Nat Geo programs that if the numbers continue on the same path, lions will be extinct in the wild by 2020 (or it may be have been a specific year within the 20s). That is one of the sources for Nat Geo's lion decline map and the big question marks. My statement about lions being endangered was not based on the classifications used by government agencies but in response to other posters saying they are not endangered in the general sense.

Holy crap you people can not agree on something so simple as are lions endangered or not. God save our country.

This is not a conclusion that is made by guessing or feelings. It is a simple math problem. COUNT THEM then the guessing and wild statements cease and we can get on with more important things.

@touchdownplay

Yes, that seems practical. Let me get on my private jet, fly to Africa and Asia, and count every single lion by hand, on my fingers..........

Or I can just look at statistics......

On the "Worldwide list of endangered species" the African Lion is listed. So, because it is different by a US Nat Geo site and an International site. Fact remains, the African Lion is still ON the endangered species list, therefore it is still exploitation to put these animals on menu's.

http://www.earthsendangered.com/list_html.asp

Slinger, thanks for the site. According to the disclaimer by the group that runs the site, it lists every animal they know of that is in any of 5 different categories of threatened species, including: Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Extinct in the Wild, Endangered, and Critically Endangered (they leave out Extinct and Least Concern). They also list animals from the US Fish & Wildlife's Endangered Species list. It's interesting, but the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN.org) is a more reputable site with much more detail and information IMO.

I stand by my post that the African Lion is listed as "Vulnerable" which means the species is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

Kane,

Please do and stay there.

@touchdownplay

Please do what? Look at the statistics, as I suggested? Ok. It looks like lions are not endangered......

This is the 21st century?

Let the idiots satisfy their curiosity and eat lion meat. If they create a food trend, the lions will become endangered. I hope the people that raise these majestic animals for food get eaten by their lions.

By the way I like to look at lions and don't wish to eat one. And I hope they do well and prosper. Just saying. But if someone wants to try it let them. I seriously doubt that lion will become the next white meat. American appetites are too finicky compared to the rest of the world to go there.

I also wish we could get morebison living in the plains. They are tasty. And pretty good for you to boot.

They can claim that! I say they can shove those "claims" right up their @$$. When there are Millions of Lions roaming the Earth then they can be knocked off the endangered species list. Note I said Roaming not locked in ZOO's or on some farm where they are being inbred into twisted parodies.

There are not millions of lions roaming the earth because if there was then antelope and zebras would be extinct. Even nature knows you can only have so many "top of the ladder" predators. By the way, I'll lay odds this in a very old zoo animal they are serving.

I lost all respect for PETA when they wanted to change the name of fish to "sea kitties".

lynn, knee jerk reactions are fun, thx. a million? really, is that the magic number? actually, zoos are pretty careful about their breeding and bring in a tramp lion from another zoo to do the dirty deed.

Little known fact:

On game reserves in South Africa, they often manually control the populations of animals to keep the system in balance. This means, if there are too many lions, and the Impala are becoming at risk for losing too many numbers, the game keepers may need to kill a couple of lions to keep the ecosystem balanced and keep it alive. South Africa has a million and one problems, but they take game preserves (wild animal parks) very seriously, and if they have to kill an animal, they at least try to make as best use of it as possible - often serving it for dinner.

Not a fan of the Tucson restaurant doing it, b/c if it becomes "trendy" to serve lions, that can cause greater problems with illegal poaching, but I'm not against it when handled responsibly.

Sorry, let me clarify my opinion better: I don't like the AZ restaurant doing this, b/c there are already too many "trends" causing increased poaching in Africa - eg: rhino horns.

However, I protest to the gut-reaction of "evil" because if you have to kill an animal, you might as well make the best use of it as possible.

The difference for me is education. I've eaten some unusual animals at restaurants on game reserves in Africa, knowing full-well why I'm eating that food. I don't think a restaurant in AZ really cares about how game reserves work. Maybe if they promoted it and helped fund more preservation work? Do people even care about population control on reserves? I don't know.

Did ANYONE of the above posters bother to completely read Lynn Grant's message???

She said, and I repeat... "When there are millions of Lions roaming the Earth, then they can be knocked off the endangered species list."

No there are not Millions - - she said, "When there are millions..."

I'm 100% with you Lynn on this one!

Lynn: "I say they can shove those "claims" right up their @$$."

Why is it that the bleeding-heart animal-rights activists always seem so aggressive and violent in their words or actions? To me, it would appear they do so because they are not educated on a subject or they realize that their stance is not supported by an concrete evidence. Such is the case in this instance.

Ken, I think you've failed to correctly interpret the responses to Lynn's outburst. The responders are attempting to demonstrate WHY there are not a million lions roaming the earth, and if there were this type of lion population the ecosystem would be out of balance, thus creating endangered animals of other species -those that the millions of lions would prey upon.

Glavin,

Nature has nothing to do with a restaurant serving lion on it's menu. Also if nature did truly control "top of the ladder" predators then humans would be dying at an alarming rate!!!! We are the ones who think nothing of eating anything and everything that moves. One day (hopefully before it's already to late) we will look back and feel ashamed for the distruction we have caused to our planet and it's other inhabitants.

@kittykares

Consuming other organisms is what humans naturally do. Humans are predators by nature. An organism behaving within its nature isn't destructive. It's the way it should be.

We, are the top ladder predators. Our inteligence made that possible. Nature doesn't fully control nature anymore. Man has taken over control. We blame man for any animal that might be going extinc now. It couldn't be natural selection thats just impossible to believe right, it has to be mans fault. Does anyone remember when they first tried to sell buffalo in the stores. Might as well have been baby seal the way people acted. Personally I would not be interested in eating Lion. I find it kind of strange but that only my oppinion.

No Kane we are destructive and really humans are not predators by nature - we are a disease. If we where to die out nature would still be able to turn around and fix all the problems we have created, however we will never give it time to re coupe from our destruction and eventually we will destroy it and ourselves.

Mark: Sounds like another LOUD-MOUTH gizzard pointing fingers, accusing everyone who likes animals un-educated, bleeding heart activist, dying to call us Liberals! If we don't agree with your "Shoot every animal philosophy" then we've failed at interpreting this article! I haven't failed, neither has Lynn! We have our opinions as you do yours and I 100% stand by mine that no one bothered to read her comment in it's entirety!! A Million is simply a statement of fact, just like when one says, I wish I had a million bucks!

It seems silly to suggest that people are not part of the ecosystem, or not a result of nature. We have cells just like lions do, we are predators just like lions, we live in habitats. Like a lion hunts and consumes the zebra, humans hunt and consume other organisms, like lions. If people are not part of nature, then what are we? Some extraterrestrial race that just spontaneously landed on Earth one morning?

@ Ken Johnson –

glad to see you’re into facts. As such, you might want to retract your characterization of others who disagree with you as embracing a "Shoot every animal philosophy".

I don’t see anyone above your posting mentioning that.

Just stating a fact…

BTW, you might want to make your next cup decaf (that's an opinion)

Estimates made in 2004 were that there were 16,500 to 47,000 living in the wild, compared to estimates as high as 100,000 in 1990 and 400,000 in 1950.

In West Africa estimates range from 100 to 400 Lions.

Loss of habitats has contributed significantly to the decline of the African Lion.

Sam: If they're serving up Lion Tacos in AZ, how else do you suppose they're killing the Lion? I don't think they're being slipped sedatives in their Purina cat chow.

Your comment makes no sense.

Another thing, if we don't speak on behalf of this planet's most intelligent and magnificent beasts of the wild, who else will stand up for them? Have you seen how some of these rich fortune 500 executives (foreign and domestic) like to go on their manly $50,000 hunting trips, shooting Lions and other rare species on private, land parcels in Africa because they're itching to nab the 'Big-One'?

Simply Youtube, "USELESS HUNTERS" and you tell me if you're alright with that and what goes on regarding the shooting of Lions!

You may want to try the caffinated coffee!

Kitty - your words remind me of James J Lee and his plight with the Discovery Channel. Calling the human race a disease?? Please return your copy of The Matrix to the nearest Red Box and rediscover your fellow humans.

Humans are predators by nature; omnivores, with pointy teach for tearing meat and flat teeth for grinding plants and grains. Predatory animals have eyes that point forward to locate prey. Prey animals have eyes on the sides of their heads, to watch out for predators.

MinneeL - Very Interesting! Good to know that they have a system in place to deal with population control. Just as we have to reduce the amount of deer hunting licenses this year to increase the future numbers.. Makes sense. Thanks!

Pryet Queen, Predators also can digest raw meat and don't have to cook it first, they also have much shorter intestines so the meat works out faster instead of just sitting in there rotting, and they have really pointy teeth for pulling flesh off of carcasses and claws for tearing apart their prey.

So whats your point???? Pick and choose what backs up your points but leave the rest out. I think you might need to do a little more research!!!

Respect for PETA??? You must be kidding! PETA deserves absolutely no respect.

Humans eat meat, they are designed to eat meat. Simple. Animals are meat...ergo, people eat animals....also simple. To do anything else is unnatural, and arguably damaging to human physiology. Whatever PETA says, their basic premise is wrong. Animals are nothing more than links in the food chan, humans included.

KittyKares - Raw meat? Ever hear of Steak tartare?

@KittyKares

The point is that it's natural for people to eat lions or want to eat lions. To complain about nature seems kind of silly.......

Actually Kane it is not natural for people to eat lions - it's more natural the other way around!!! It is only because we use weapons and they don't that makes it the other way around. Go ahead and try to fight a lion the way nature really intended it to be (with your bear hands) and see who will win.

Darthdon, Go ahead and eat steak tar-tare if you dare. Do you know how much beef was recalled last year due to problems??? Do you know that a good percentage of the beef out there comes from downers???

I have been eating Beef Tartare for years and never had a problem. But then, I have a good immune system.

BTW Do you know how many veggies had recalls last year? I recall quite a few...

Depends on where you get your veggies from. I buy organic locally grown veggies! There is always a chance of recall with any food that is processed.

Hey KittyKares,

Humans are also notorious for being the species that uses tools in order to adapt. Humans using tools (such as various weapons) in order to hunt is Nature.......to say it's unnatural for people to use tools is absurd. A key characteristic of the Human evolutionary model is the use of tools in order to help the species adapt and survive.

KittyKares,

Thus, Nature didn't intend people to fight lions with their bare hands; Nature gave Humans the ability to use tools in order to survive.

Nature at work is horrific?

Yes, nature at work, can be horrific. Perhaps you find it beautiful visiting a slaughterhouse or enjoy eating exotic game. Do you get your kicks watching a lion kill it's prey? Most would turn their heads away and accept nature, but be horrified, just the same.

I'd probably become a permanent vegan if I witnessed how badly we treat our farm animals. And please save your comments, I'm not a PETA member, nor a "bleeding heart". I simply value all life, including, yes, humans and fail to understand why Lion meat should be served in a taco!

Why don't we try human meat from executed criminals? Afterall, we're all carnivores and the dead body isn't wasted. Nor is there a risk of extinction.

Humans are organisms made to consume other organisms. That's Nature. Humans are not, however, naturally inclined to cannibalism. Some species, such as some species of spider, are naturally inclined to cannibalize. Humans consuming elk, natural, humans consuming snake, natural, humans consuming insects, natural, humans consuming lions, natural, humans consuming other humans, unnatural. That is why you can't suggest that people eat people tacos.

Humans consuming humans is not unnatural. It is offensive to our culture. There is considerable archaeological evidence of human bones found to be hacked or sawed into, which confirms cannibalizing. Many North and South American native cultures consumed parts of human organs in rituals or for food. Over one billion Christians celebrate Jesus who asks his followers to drink His blood and eat His flesh. Catholics, who fully understand the concept of transubstantiation, truly believe that they are consuming "miraculously transformed" flesh and blood of Jesus.

The majority of modern human culture abhors the idea of cannibalization. This has nothing to do with being "natural". It has a lot to do with becoming "civilized". Those that choose to eat Lion meat could use a little civilizing.

Yeah, it actually is unnatural for people to cannibalize. Human bones being sawed into says nothing about whether or not that person was eaten. I have heard of very rare instances of cannibalism among some native cultures, but those instances are hardly representative of the natural inclination of mankind. At communion, Catholics eat bread and wine, and they are thinking they are consuming the flesh of not another person, but the son of God. Consuming the son of God is a little different than cannibalism. People generally don't wake up in the morning and say "you know, I feel like eating my neighbor today......"

Kane:

Respectfully, you are uninformed. Evidence of human cannibalization is widespread and is not disputed. Do some research.

Furthermore, you are confusing the terms "natural" or "unnatural". Consuming flesh is a natural event for carnivores or omnivores. It is unnatural for a herbivore to consume flesh. It is a cultural taboo, TODAY, for most humans to eat another human. Our modern day abhorrence of eating human flesh has nothing to do with nature and has everything to do with our long road to civilized behavior or culture.

Kane:

In regards to your understanding of Catholic ritual, the words and story of Jesus gives us insight into the culture of His day. Crucifixion was a cultural norm. It is not a typical punishment today. Similarly, when Jesus said, "I am the Son of God, drink My blood, eat My flesh and do this in memory of Me". This tells us about the cultural mindset of these people 2000 years ago. The widespread belief among humanity, at that time, reveals to us the ancient cultural mentality that consumption of a powerful persons body or blood would somehow empower the consumer. Like crucifixion, cannibalism has fallen out of popularity. Yet, this cultural practice persisted among native people, until fairly recently. Consuming the heart of a victim would allow the spiritual acquisition the the deceased's soul.

If someone substituted, without your knowledge (or permission,) lion meat with human "meat" and you consumed it, you would not fall ill or be forever damned. In fact, your body would digest normally and you would receive nutritional benefits. The offense is not to nature, but your cultural ethics.

Wow. What the hell are you? A beast in the wild?

Pat, You really are a beast!!!!

I never tried rhino. Dog was good though. A bit like prime rib. Cat was tasty with a spicy musturd but a bit stringy.

Adds a whole new meaning to "Here Kitty Kitty Kitty, din, din" :)

How about a little "cat sup" with your burger?

Or I had a little "pussy" last night for dinner.. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Purina's "Cat Chow" for people...

The french will come up with "Cat tat touille"

OMG

@The Imperial

Humans are indeed beasts. Whether or not the term "wild" can be used is open for debate, but look at it this way; New York City, Ancient Rome, the Pyramids at Giza, Tokyo..........those are all examples of natural human habitat.

I saw the shish-kabob people a couple of dogs short on Sunday at a Grateful dead show in Phoenix years ago....shish-kadog!

I worked with a philipino cook who said dog was delicious...but cats are greasy!

to:Pat Mcweeny, John-2786044, CBR-428676

you three are not funny and are not clever. please don't post on this comment thread if you have nothing to add.

oooh, irrert told you! now write a hundred times, I will not make jokes, and a note is going home to your parents!

the thing I don't like about lion tacos is the mane gets stuck between my teeth.

to: irrert you seem to be the one with nothing to add. You don't agree so you decide they shouldn't post? Who the h*ll are you? Though I may not agree with them I found them quite funny. If you don't want to eat it, don't. No one is forcing you to. But try not to be so closed minded that you feel the need to jump all over people for poking fun at a ridiculous article. Relax and remember yours is not the only or the best opinion!

Why?

No, its Beyond the Beef!

Great line my friend (I'm still laughing out-loud) "beyond the beef"!... you are the winner of the day!

"this is beyond belief"

Not really.....

Humans are organisms made to consume other organisms. That's Nature. Humans are not, however, naturally inclined to cannibalism. Some species, such as some species of spider, are naturally inclined to cannibalize. Humans consuming elk, natural, humans consuming snake, natural, humans consuming insects, natural, humans consuming lions, natural, humans consuming other humans, unnatural. That is why you can't suggest that people eat people tacos.

Good comment Kane.

However - Soylent Green Tacos... LOL!

Kane, your logic is one-dimensional, and it is convenient only for you to use in order to justify your proclivities.

In a balanced food chain, primary and secondary producers must proliferate into the billions to supply food for the consumers, and yet, humans--being tertiary/quarternary consumers--populate as though we are plankton, bacteria or some fungus.

It is unnatural for the human population to number in the billions, given our rank in the food chain. The ratio of us-to-producers is lop-sided, and until that can be corrected, people need to stop exponentially reproducing and eating away the earth's contents; our behaviour simply mimics uncontrollable, rapidly-reproducing cells invading surrounding tissue and organs.

I do somewhat agree that we should allow nature to take its course, but it should be without ANY caveat. Let man eat and destroy, but also let disease consume mankind, as God/Nature intended. Meaning, if one day you get cancer, do not intervene with what nature intended for you, just as you wouldn't intervene with a man's desire for a lion taco.

And, do some "people" really think it's appropriate to eat a species to the point of it being declared "endangered"? Yikes, I guess it is true that intelligence is an evolutionary trait that varies from one individual to the next.

To the guy above,

I am well aware of your point. I do agree that humans do indeed overpopulate given our position in the food chain. Yes, disease/plague is one way for Nature to control the human population, but unfortunately the rapid progress in medicine and pharmaceuticals is all but removing the concept of disease from the human condition, thus humans will continue to overpopulate unchecked. But at the same time, I don't think preventing people from eating certain animals is going to stop human overpopulation either. Telling a man he can't eat a lion taco doesn't mean that the human population has suddenly been reduced and Earth has returned to Homeostasis.......

you are not up on the facts. a decade ago wild lions numbered 200,000 across africa. the count last year was less then 20,000. so yes lions are on the brink of extermination. tribes are poisoning and shooting them as pests.

this restaurant should be boycotted for creating demand where there is none. do you really want to see lions being raised for food. what a tragic thought for such a mighty animal.

comment number 12-MWP_N_COOKEVILLE you are so ignorant. What does endangered mean to you? Whatever you call it there are barley any lions left compared to what there used to be, due to humans. That is a problem.

Without "ecofreaks" as you so well stated, very pc and mature by the way(hoping you feel my sarcasim)..the world's animal populations would be in far worse peril than they already are.. speaking as an animal enthusiast and lover, every animal deserves the chance to live it's life just as we humans do.. so when you hear that a restaurant is planning on serving up one of the most beautiful animals to have ever walked this planet, people should be concerned and take a stand for sensless "population control" and "proper distribution" of an animals remains as I'm sure they will attribute the meat as a result of such actions. Any educated individual can inform you on the rapid decline of the Lion population worldwide. Illegal poaching, "game hunting", and simply human interference has been the cause of putting Lions and other large cats and various animals on the endangered list. I suggest before you order that taco you get your facts straight because this type of trend, just like all others has the possibility of snowballing out of control and we really could wind up losing another great animal to our human selfishness...

The IUCN currently classifies the African the African Lion as a "vunerable" species on the Red List of Threatened Species.

The IUCN Red List is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are relevant to all species and all regions of the world. The aim is to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policy makers, as well as help the international community to try to reduce species extinction.

I wish you eco freaks would go live with the natives and see what it is like first hand to live with a 500 lb top preditor.

Ksturdy you over educated simpletons did not saved the wildlife, that was done by hunters and sportsmen. You loud mouth eco freaks have never put your money where your mouth is. All you idiots have ever done is hire lawers to sue the government, you've never spent a dime on real conservation the way groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Wild Sheep Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and a multitude of other real conservation organizasions. Your just a bunch of loud mouth over educated trust fund babies that have never really done sh@t in your life.

It's not about trying new things. It's about the fact that it is wrong, there are plenty of chickens and cows, they will never be extinct. There are not plenty of exotic animals to go around.

I agree Emily. WHY?? Just to satisfy curiosity? Hell if it tastes like beef go to Kroger's and buy beef.....or chicken for chicken..

If you were in Africa trying to feed your family and this is what you come up with..by all means, God bless you...but just to "see what it tastes like??"...

I hope they get Feline A**it-tosis or Feline AIDS!

EVERYONE LISTEN UP! From now on, Emily gets to decide what's right and what's wrong!

Actually, it sounds like you're trying to make a case for more lion farms.

Yes, there are plenty of chickens and cows, which could serve as your argument against the consumption of exotic meat. However, there would NOT be plenty of chickens and cows if not for abusive factory farming. An ecological conundrum.

I'm neither condoning or condemning this menu until I educate myself on the subject, but by now I think we have learned that all environmental choices have environmental consequences as well. For example, the process of creating solar panels is actually pretty environmentally harmful.

Actually does sound tasty, depending on how it is prepared

People eat bear all the time, they are predators. People also eat fish, snake, crocodile, and alligator which are also predators. Also, vultures aren't predators, they are scavengers.

Exactly. The source of the meat makes all the difference. If these were endangered animals or presented some real health risk, they likely would have been shut down. So, it's either some kind of black market, back alley operation, or it's probably fine.

Like you said, although maybe not cow because they would want it to at least seem different, it could be buffalo or deer or something totally innocuous for all we know.

Again, people eat predators all the time. What do you think bear, fish, snake, crocodile and alligators are?

How is it more gross than eating a cow, or a pig, or a chicken? You either eat meat or you don't.

Whats all the squack for, it can't be much different from our own native cougars,MMMMMMMMMMMMM, and not endangered. Feel Better Now?

So is POOP, whats your comments on that?

wow, you even type limp wristed.

Wow. What kind of jackazz believes that one restaurant represents the entire population of a state? Sure hope not one single person in your state ever does anything to bring shame on every one of you.

All mammals have parasites in their flesh. Chicken is probably the most eaten of any meat all over the world... take a piece of raw chicken meat, and put in a glass of water with some peroxide in it, and watch what comes crawling out!!!

It's all protein...whether it's a cow, pig, lion, dog, bugs, and worms, you can get good nutrition from it.

chickens arent mammals... and its the farm process that ruins the animal or eating of the meat its science so please

starting with the governor of Arizona.

Funny you should mention that, I ate my wife last night, and it was tasty, and we both enjoyed it.

Sweeney Todd song comes to mind, "Have a little Priest... Haven't got poet... Lawyers rather nice... squire...vicar... grocer!"

"...ate my wife last night...and we both enjoyed it."

That is the best thing I've read so far! You funny SOB, I'm still laughin'.

Leave the governor alone...she's endangered.

Mexicans are in abundance, though, and when cooked long enough, are almost edible. Best served with large welfare rolls and a spring salad.

That is Fricken hilarious! But is eating your wife considered p*ssy or beaver? I guess it depends if it's shaved or not,HAAAAAA.

Give a hungry lion a chance and he will hang you in a tree and eat you.

Nope that'a a leopard. The lion will just eat you where you fall.

Pat - Ironically, or maybe not, this is one of the most intelligent comments I've ever seen posted on the vine. Maybe that was your intent.

Do share. Why is eating a lion so much worse than eating a cow? You either eat meat, or you don't.

Humans are an organism that consume other organisms. That's Nature.

Oh, so because YOU don't like it, it should be prohibited for everyone!

Absolutely, Cracker. How silly of you! According to some people these days, telling everyone else they can't do something completely harmless just because they don't like it is practically one of the founding principles of this great country! :-p

That is a great idea! lets put the PETA members out with the lions! Then the lions will eat more and multiply so the rest of us can eat the lions. That is a great idea Lisa!

**That is a great idea! lets put the PETA members out with the lions! Then the lions will eat more and multiply so the rest of us can eat the lions. That is a great idea Lisa!**

Yo Hank, i've got news for ya......lions don't get pregnant from eating humans. Not sure if you know how babies are made or not...you know what, i have a better idea, you should probably eat lion, could be the only p*ssy you'll get! Just a thought!

Yo Disgusted, I've got news for ya... creatures that are pregnant need nutrition to successfully give birth to a healthy young being. Nutrition comes from food (aka, animals (human, in this case) and plants), unless you decide to personally give those lions prenatal vitamins. Go ahead, I'm not stopping you...but I don't think they will be too happy about being made to drink a hundred pound tofu shake to wash them down.

Really though, it *is* entirely about the source of the lion... Because the price is so high, demand will be lower, and because they are making people pre-order they will have the ability to decide exactly how much meat is needed, taking away the possibility of over-ordering the meat which would result in waste. It would be great if proceeds went to an environmental group, especially one that looked after the well-being of exotic animals. One lion probably yields a high amount of edible meat (lots of tacos). I'm sure it would remain a delicacy; just because one restaurant wants to serve it doesn't mean that street vendors all over the country will start serving dollar lion tacos.