Behind the celebrity glitz of Austria's luxury cut lead glass (‘crystal') giant lies a sickening secret – one their subsidiaries (Swarovski Optik) support the sale of wild animals for you to slaughter for fun and they have a royal warrant too (7)... Baboons cost €200 apiece, a giraffe will set you back €2,200 and a lioness comes in at €4,600. But the most-prized prey of all – a fully-maned, adult lion – will sting you for as much as €14,300 (3). Swarovski Optik has allowed its name to be associated with a ‘safari' company that offers a shopping list of 41 different wild animals for you to slaughter – so long as you have the dosh. Another subsidiary of Swarovski has franchised boutiques sell crystal (glass) jewellery in Britain's High Streets and they are gem of choice for celebrities such Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, JLo and The Saturdays(6). What they don't shout so loudly about is their sister business, Swarovski Optik, which makes rifle-scopes for hunting. (1) It also sponsors the controversial pro-gun lobby in the United States (2) and has links to ‘shopping list' safaris in Africa, where animals can be purchased by Western trophy hunters and shot for ‘sport'. (3) To help them do it, the company produces a ‘safari expert' rifle-scope designed for this very purpose. Uitkyk Safaris in South Africa says it is ‘proudly associated' with Swarovski Optik (whose logo appears on its website) and allows hunters to compile a ‘shopping list' of 41 different types of animal to kill. Swarovski Optik's website says: "Safari hunting in Africa is pure adventure. It places particular demands on hunters and their equipment, not least because larger calibers are used and long ranges need to be covered." (1) This same company – who also make binoculars for bird and other wildlife watching – without so much as a glimmer of embarrassment, says: "The appreciation of nature is an essential part of its company philosophy and is reflected commendably in its environment-friendly production and its long-term commitment to selected nature conservation projects." (4) While publicly claiming to support big cat conservation in Botswana and Kenya, it actively encourages their destruction in South Africa. "Rank hypocrisy' is the only phrase to describe it," says Viva! Sickeningly, Uitkyk claims that hunting lions with them "is as close to the real thing as you can get!" Which means it is not the real thing but an enclosed area. This is canned lion hunting where lions are reared specifically to be shot. As well as being proudly associated with killing lions, Swarovski Optik are long-standing corporate sponsors of Safari Club International, whose motto includes the words: "The leader in protecting the freedom to hunt." (5) Swarovski Optik are listed as "a loyal sponsor of NRA (National Rifle Association) Hunter Services Programs" – the self-described "number-one hunters' organization in America". Animal charity Viva! has recently highlighted Nikon's ‘schizophrenic' approach to wildlife – selling the idea of conservation to its camera enthusiasts whilst courting and sponsoring hunters and encouraging them to use its rifle-scopes. Justin Kerswell, Viva! campaigns manager, says: "Looking at Swarovski's promotional materials and visiting one of their many stores across the country, you would have no idea that another subsidiary of the same parent company promotes violent blood sports and has links to the pro-gun lobby in the US. Behind Swarovski's glitter lies something much darker. "It is especially shocking that Swarovski Optik seem happy to be associated with trophy hunting in Africa, where you can choose from a shopping list of wild animals, and then plays the conservation card. If it had any genuine belief in conservation it would end its support for slaughtering penned lions." BN
