“There are some facts which I would also like to bring to the fore that have an impact on our beautiful lions.”

WITH reference to your article, ‘Dept reviewing lion management rules’ on page 16 of the issue dated 24 July, thank you for bringing the subject of canned hunting to the public. However, there are some facts which I would also like to bring to the fore that have an impact on our beautiful lions.

As Asian traders have taken an interest in our rhino since the decline of their own tiger population, they have also taken an interest in our lions. On the Asian market, the lion bone trade can reach and exceed a value of R200 000 per skeleton. It is estimated that an average yearly figure of around 7 000 lion skeletons are sold legally to two Chinese dealers in South Africa. These bones are boiled down and bottled in Asia then hit the streets as ‘healing medicines’. So the circle of life for the lion starts as a cub.

They are normally rented out to ‘petting zoos’, where tourists can have their photo taken while petting and cuddling a cub. Hundreds of ignorant volunteers come to these ‘wildlife sanctuaries’ to help bottle-feed and raise these cubs. Then, once the lion is fully grown, it is released, only to be hunted. The rest is history.

There are around 174 captive lion breeding facilities in South Africa, where lions are bred exclusively for trophy hunting. Leopards are not being overlooked either. They are also being hunted, either as trophies or for their skins, which are either used locally or sold to the fur trade. Their numbers are also rapidly declining.

This can only stop with you, making an effort to take a stand. There are websites where you can gain more information on this subject. For further information you can visit www.cannedlion.org. There is also a new documentary that has just been released. It outlines the practice of canned lions. The documentary is called, ‘Blood Lions’.

From allowing 26 live rhino to be sold to Vietnam, to selling our lions like common farm animals, we as South Africans need to seriously think what type of example we are setting for the rest of Africa and need to take a stand against this sick and degrading trade. Is this something we can share with our foreign tourists who flock to our game reserves, hoping to spot one of the Big 5? The recent illegal hunting and shooting of Cecil the Zimbabwean lion by an American dentist has received worldwide publicity. Europe is calling for a ban on hunting trophies, meanwhile South Africa has just lifted this ban on exporting trophies – where are we going?

Bruce Young, an old Rhodian and old Kingswoodian has directed “Blood Lions”, a documentary film which focuses on the multi-million dollar predator breeding and lion hunting industry in South Africa.

The killing of Zimbabwe’s Cecil the Lion in an allegedly illegal hunt has drawn the world’s attention to the whole issue of lion hunting (and hunting in general) and has also generated a great deal of interest in the film.

Blood Lions debuted at last month’s Durban Film Festival recieving rave reviews and a standing ovation at its first showing.

The response to the film on social media has also been impressive with the likes of Ricky Gervais and Ellen de Generis tweeting about it.

The film’s publicity material describes it as “a story that blows the lid off all the conservation claims made by the breeders and hunters in attempting to justify what they do”.

Bruce, who collaborated with Nic Chevallier on the production, graduated from Rhodes in 1981, with a Bachelor of Arts and Honours in Speech and Drama.

It was while at university that he developed his love for cinema and got motivated to go into the industry.

“I’ve loved stories all my life, I was brought up in a family where my mother and father read to us”, said Young.

Blood Lions follows environmental journalist Ian Michler and American hunter, Rick Swazey, on their journey to expose the grave realities of the so called ‘canned lion’ industry which, while not illegal, many believe to be unethical and inhumane.

Last year alone it’s estimated that over 800 captive lions were shot in South Africa.

“The Blood Lions campaign is starting to get significant traction,” says Ian Michler.

“Since the launch, we have been overwhelmed by the global response across all sectors of society.

This should serve as a clear indication to governments and the various authorities around the world that they need to come together to close down predator breeding facilities and canned hunting operations.”

Ultimately Young and his collaborators hope to raise sufficient awareness around the industry to sway public opinion and to force the department of environmental affairs to change the laws regarding the hunting and breeding of lions.

Dates for further screenings of Blood Lions in Johannesburg and Cape Town are to be announced soon.

Also, only yesterday, the film’s producers, Wildlands and Regulus Vision, announced that they have secured both local and global distribution with PBS picking up global rights and Indigenous Film Distribution handling South Africa rights.

Tom Koch, Vice President of PBS International says, “Blood Lions is a rare programme that reveals the dark and brutal side of trophy hunting in Africa.

Programmes like this are equally rare and exceptional and should be seen by audiences around the globe. We are proud to represent this film to the international community”.

A primary school pupil has reportedly been attacked by a cheetah at a game reserve in Pietermaritzburg.
News of the attack first emerged on Twitter after BloodLions, the organisation behind the controversial canned lion documentary, re-tweeted: “The dangers of wild animal interaction. Young PMB pupil allegedly attacked by a cheetah at KwaCheetah, Nambiti Reserve.”
Headmaster of Cowan House Preparatory School, Robin Odell confirmed that a student was bitten by a cheetah, after the animal managed to “partially force its way through a game fence” during an education tour yesterday.
“The school’s Board of Governors and Management have been in constant contact with all the relevant parties as well as the parents of the pupil,” Odell said.
“The pupil received immediate and appropriate medical attention for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery from the bite wounds.”
The incident has raised questions over the breeding habits of wild cheetahs at the game reserve.
Wildlands Conservation Trust CEO Dr Andrew Venter says that the breeding practises at Nambiti Game Reserve could have been avoided, as cheetahs are not being released into the wild after breeding.
“The facilities are there, so why are the animals not being released into the wild? How did a cheetah get that close?
“The Endangered Wildlife Trust has forecast that this could happen, and now we see it is starting to happen. We’ve had a cheetah attack a child.”
Desmond Gouws, a manager of the The KwaCheetah breeding project, Nambiti Game Reserve could not confirm the incident.

The shooting of Cecil the lion and a new documentary have sparked a rethink on killing for sport and bragging rights.

Deep in the ancient part of our brains is a memory of being hunted by lions. Both our species and theirs emerged in the crucible of the great East African savanna – they were lords of the plains and we were their prey.

Weak and defenceless, we co-operated to survive, invented language, then writing and technology. We made weapons and reversed the equation: lions are now our prey.

Daar heers groot onmin onder beroepsjagters en ander bewaringskundiges oor wie nou eintlik verantwoordelik is vir die krisis wat tans in die jagbedryf heers.

Sommige beroepsjagters erken openlik dat die bedryf self ’n deel van die skuld moet dra en sê dat nie genoeg gedoen word om onetiese en onaanvaarbare jagpraktyke uit te roei nie.

Die Suider-Afrikaanse jagbedryf beleef een van sy grootste krisisse tot nog toe ná die internasionale storm oor die skiet van Cecil – ’n swartmaanhaarleeu wat na bewering uit die Hwange Nasionale Park in Zimbabwe gelok is voordat hy deur ’n Amerikaanse tandarts met ’n kruisboog geskiet is.

Asof dit nie genoeg is nie, het die plaaslike jagbedryf nog ’n paar klappe gekry met die uitreiking van die dokumentêre fliek Blood ­Lions, wat die omvang van wanpraktyke in die geblikteleeujagbedryf in Suid-Afrika blootlê.

Die Australiese regering het in Maart ’n verbod op die in- en uitvoer van leeujagtrofeë ­geplaas en drie Amerikaanse lugdienste, American Air­lines, Delta Airlines en ­United Air­lines, asook Air Canada het ’n verbod op die vervoer van Groot Vyf-jagtrofeë geplaas.

Stewart Dorrington van ­Sampeo (South Africa’s Most Proven and Experienced Outfitters) glo die erge wanpraktyke in die leeuteel- en gebliktejag-bedryf word nou as skietgoed gebruik om die hele jag- en toerismebedryf te beswadder.

Dorrington sonder die ­Beroepsjagtersvereniging van Suid-Afrika (Phasa) uit vir kritiek omdat hulle nie reeds lank­al strenger opgetree het teen die gebliktejagbedryf nie en ’n duideliker en harder boodskap hieroor uitstuur nie.

“Die probleem is dat dit nie meer ’n groepie raserige diereregteaktiviste is wat ons veroordeel nie. Die hele wêreld het ons jagbedryf nou onder die vergrootglas geplaas ná die uitbarsting oor die onwettige jag van die Zimbabwiese leeu Cecil en die dokumentêre rolprent Blood Lions,” sê hy.

“Ons grootste vrees is dat die openbare mening teen ons draai en ander lande en lugdienste soortgelyke stappe gaan doen om wildtrofeë te verbied. Wanneer dit gebeur, is die plaaslike bedryf daarmee heen,” sê hy.

Adri Kitshoff, uitvoerende hoof van Phasa, sê sy stem nie saam met Dorrington nie. “Ons veroordeel al jare lank onwettige jagpraktyke en ons waarsku reeds ’n tyd lank dat die jag van leeus in klein kampe sleg is vir ons reputasie,” sê sy.

Dr. Peter Oberem, president van Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA), glo die regering moet die grootste aanspreeklikheid aanvaar vir die gemors.

“Elke provinsie het tans sy eie reëls en regulasies oor leeuteel en permitte wat tot uiterse verwarring lei. Uiteindelik word dié verwarring deur skelms in die bedryf uitgebuit,” sê hy.

Volgens hom is die oplossing om eenvormige wetgewing in te stel om beter standaarde en toestande in die bedryf te verseker.