lion conservationWILDTHINGS
Public
help
What can the general public
do to prevent lion abuse and
canned lion hunting?T
here are many ways the public can
create awareness around the captive
lion breeding and canned hunting industry, and
to prevent lion abuse. Firstly, we recommend
that as many people as possible watch
the film Blood Lions (www.bloodlions.org/
screenings/); become fully informed through
the film, our website and social media platforms- including our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.
com/BloodLionsOfficial/ – and visit our ‘Get
involved’ page on our website to see the various
ways they can assist: www.bloodlions.org/
get-involved/.
We urge members of the public: - to not support any breeder or operator
who contributes to the cycle of breeding,
exploitation and senseless killing of predators,
including those who offer cub petting and
‘walking with lions’. - to endorse ethical and responsible
interaction with Africa’s wilderness and
wild animals, thus promoting South Africa
as an authentic, wild and rewarding tourism
destination. - to support endeavours toward wildlife
conservation and economic development across
Africa by promoting the formal conservation
community in their endeavours to secure the
survival of Africa’s predators in the wild.
Internationally recognised lion ecologists and
conservation agencies concur that the captive
lion breeding industry has no conservation
value. And the reality is that without wild
lions and the rest of the predator guild extant
in functioning ecosystems, there will also be
no African tourism industry – a calamitous
situation for many economies.
Pippa Hankinson, Director, Blood Lions
Preventative legislature
U
nfortunately, the laws around hunting captive-
bred lions are very confusing. As we discovered
when we were filming Blood Lions, legislation around
captive-bred predator hunting states that ‘canned’
hunting is prohibited, but that ‘captive’ hunting is
allowed. When asked to differentiate between the two,
neither the Department of Environmental Affairs nor
the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa
(PHASA) were able to give us a satisfactory answer.
Sadly, captive-bred lions are not adequately
protected in South Africa, as the laws concerning
these animals seem to fall through the
legislative ‘cracks’ in South Africa. Their welfare is
not adequately covered by the Department of
Is there any legislation in South Africa that can prevent canned lion hunting?
Environmental Affairs, who legislates mostly
on wild species and for biodiversity objectives.
They consider this to be the responsibility of the
Department of Agriculture who – although they do
have a sub-division which deals with wildlife ranching
involving minimal human intervention – seemingly
don’t have the resources to cope with the captive
lion breeding industry as they predominantly deal
with farmed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.
So, the provinces set their own regulations regarding
this industry, and the welfare of these big cats falls to
the Wildlife Unit of the NPSCA, which has to date had
very little support from either Department.
Pippa Hankinson, Director, Blood LionsYou can make a difference
in lion conservation by
educating other people about
why they shouldn’t pet lion
cubs or walk with lions.Inconsistent regulations
A
s each province sets their own norms and
standards with regard to the breeding and
keeping of captive-bred predators, there appear
to be a number of inconsistencies pertaining to
the regulations of each province, including, for
example, enclosure sizes, fence requirements
and also the ‘put and take’ laws. This term
applies to the time from when a captive lion
is removed from his enclosure, to when he is
released into a larger enclosure on a hunting farm
to be shot in a canned trophy hunt. This varies
from 30 days in one province, to a mere 96 hours
in another province. Although a government audit
of these breeding farms has been called for, thereWhat does our legislation say about keeping lions in general?
are no accurate up-to-date figures available
of exactly how many captive lions are existing
today, nor how many of these facilities there are.
Estimates currently range from 8,000 to 12,000
animals, on between 130 and 180 farms across
the country.
Unfortunately, as long as South Africa views
wildlife as a ‘resource’, the increasing demand
for wildlife products will not only lead to the
increased mass breeding of these animals to
meet that demand, but will also inevitably put
pressure on wild populations as poaching and the
illegal trade in animal body parts intensifies.
Pippa Hankinson, Director, Blood LionsIf you haven’t done so yet, watch the documentary
Blood Lions for some insightful information –
http://www.bloodlions.org/screenings/.