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Arizona restaurant serving lion burgers

Ekundu, a 3-month-old African lion cub, runs up to his father Izu at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park on February 15, 2008. Lions roar as a form of communication and at the Wild Animal Park Izu's roar can be heard all over the 1,800-acre facility. Ekundu and his six siblings were recently introduced to their 400-pound dad and have since been inseparable. (UPI Photo/Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park)
Ekundu, a 3-month-old African lion cub, runs up to his father Izu at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park on February 15, 2008. Lions roar as a form of communication and at the Wild Animal Park Izu's roar can be heard all over the 1,800-acre facility. Ekundu and his six siblings were recently introduced to their 400-pound dad and have since been inseparable. (UPI Photo/Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park) | License Photo

MESA, Ariz., June 23 (UPI) -- The owner of an Arizona restaurant is defending his decision to serve burgers made with African lion meat in honor of the World Cup.

Cameron Selogie of Il Vinaio in Mesa says the five pounds of lion meat he's using to make the burgers come from a farm and in no way affect the scarcity of lions in Africa, the Arizona Republic reports.

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The novelty meat, being served Wednesday and Thursday nights only, has drawn e-mail protests from more than 150 people along with one bomb threat, Selogie says.

The lion meat was ordered from a USDA regulated free-range farm in Illinois that Selogie says he checked out to make sure conditions were humane.

He estimates that only 15 lion burgers will be available each night.

Selogie's restaurant has served other exotic meats.

One of his Wine-Pairing dinners featured wild boar.

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