Born Free: The Bitter Bond by Engine

The plight of lions bred in South Africa to meet demand from tourists seeking to burnish their Instagram feeds has been raised in an emotive animation exposing the bitter truth behind their short and brutal lives.

Spearheaded by the Born Free Foundation, The Bitter Bond seeks to capitalise on increased awareness brought about by Disney’s recent remake of The Lion King by exposing the harsh reality of captive lions which are never given the opportunity to roam free and who face being sold to trophy hunters when they grow too big for cuddles.

Crafted by Engine in partnership with Zombie Studios and Blinkink, the hand-drawn campaign seeks to bring global attention to such inhumane practices, with estimates that 70% of all South Africa's lions live their lives in this way.

Employing misdirection, the work plays for maximum impact by first setting up the keeper as a force for good in the lion's life, only to expose their complicity in abuse during the closing moments.