Arizona restaurant serving lion burgers

The restaurant wants to give customers a South African experience during the World Cup, but the new dish has generated protests.

By

Associated Press

Tue, Jun 22 2010 at 7:42 PM

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Endangered Species, Dining Out

RARE MEAT: The restaurant ordered 10 pounds of African lion meat from a USDA-regulated, free-range farm in Illinois. (Photo: jupiterimages)

An Arizona restaurant owner dreamed up a novelty meal to give customers a South African experience during the World Cup.

But serving burgers made with African lion meat has generated protests.

Cameron Selogie says his Il Vinaio restaurant in Mesa has received a bomb threat and more than 150 e-mails from protesters. He says African lions are on the protected list, but not endangered.

The restaurant ordered 10 pounds of African lion meat from a USDA-regulated, free-range farm in Illinois, which Selogie says he researched to make sure they were humane.

It's mixed with ground beef, and the restaurant says it's serving about 15 burgers a day.

USDA spokesman Jim Brownlee says lion meat is an uncommon dish, but he knew of no prohibitions against it.

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