MBOMBELA – Animal lovers are urged to support the screening of Blood Lions, a documentary on canned-lion hunting, Monday night at 18:30 at Uplands Preparatory School in White River.

Organised by Mr. Dex Kotze of Youth for African Wildlife, proceeds from this show will be donated to a campaign aimed against canned hunting and predator breeding.

 According to bloodlions.org, Blood Lions follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator, Mr. Ian Michler and Mr. Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities of the multimillion dollar predator-breeding, and canned-lion hunting industries in South Africa.

It is a story that blows the lid off claims made by these operators in attempting to justify what they do.

Last year alone over 800 captive lions were shot in South Africa, mostly by wealthy international hunters under conditions that are anything but sporting.

Michler has been following this story since 1999 and goes onto the breeding farms to witness the impact that decades of intensive breeding have on captive lions and other predators.

Aggressive farmers and most within the professional hunting community resent his questions, but the highly profitable commercialization of lions is plain to see. Cub petting, volunteer recruitment, lion walking, canned hunting, trading and the new lion- bone trade are on the increase. And all are being justified under the guise of conservation, research and education.

Swazey is followed as he purchases a lion online from his home in Hawaii. He then travels to South Africa to follow the path canned hunters do.

Producers have also spoken to trophy hunters, operators and breeders as well as recognised lion ecologists, conservationists and animal- welfare experts.

The film shows in intimate detail how lucrative it is to breed lions, and how the authorities and most professional hunting and tourism bodies have become complicit in allowing the industries to flourish.

However, there is also hope in the story as the producers cover the very latest development of the Australian government announcing a complete ban on the importation of all African lion trophies into Australia.

Blood Lions is a compelling call to action and shows how you can get involved in a global campaign to stop lions from being bred for the bullet.

Eers was dit Cecil en ” die rolprent Blood Lions, toe die voorsitjag by Alldays. En aan die spits van alles staan diereregte-aktiviste wat om bloed vra, die jagter se bloed. Feite word verdraai, emosies word opgesweep en volhoubare benutting wat op soveel plekke al bewys is as die beste bewaringsmodel vir ons natuur- lewe, word summier afgeskiet.

Dis opvallend dat dit nie net die oningeligte individue van anti-jagorganisasies is wat jagters probeer beswadder nie, die DBV/ SPCA en natuurlik Carte Blanche het ook hulle deel gedoen. Wanneer jy met die mediate doen het moet jy dadelik weet dat hulle eerstens ingestel is op sensasie en dis presies wat Carte Blanche met hul eerste en tweede insetsel oor die Alldays-jag gedoen het.

Die vraag wat baie jagters via, is hoe hierdie mense verhoed kan word om verdraaide inligting oor jag die wéreld in te stuur. Jagtersverenigings is seker ons kragtigste mondstukke en dis hulle wat moet hand opsteek en die jagter se saak stel. Om byvoorbeeld bloot persverklaings uit te reik help net mooi niks, want dit word glad nie in die groter mediablaaie gepubliseer nie. Nee, jagtersverenigings sal die handskoene moet aantrek en op veel meer praktiese maniere begin veg vir jag. Maar ‘n jagtersvereniging bestaan nie net uit die bestuur nie, die individuele lede is die boustene van elke vereniging en hulle is die mense wat op grondvlak uit hulle eie en sonder verwagting van vergoeding sal moet inspring. Anders gaan ons een van die dae dalk net beesbiltong eet.

 Dis ongelukkig baie lankal te laat om bloot skouers op te trek en te sé ons kan ons nie uitlaat oor ‘n saak omdat ons nie al die feite tot ons beskikking het nie. Dis totaal en al te laat om diegene wat jag as volhoubare benutting afskiet, net te ignoreer. Dis bloot onnosel om te dink anti-jagters sal tot ander insigte kom as ons niks doen nie en dis nog meer onnosel om die groenes gedurig met pitkos te voer.

Sommige jagters tree so op dat dit bitter moeilik is om jag te kan verdedig. Met ons behoefte aan spog, steek ons onsself in die rug. Onthou julle die video van die mak, spelerige leeu wat deur die boogskutter van ‘n bakkie af geskiet is? Ja, oor You- Tube en Facebook kan ek bladsye vol skryf. Dis die jagter se grootste vyande en tog bly mense hul video’s en foto’s daar laai om mee te spog. Pitkos vir die groenes.

‘n Jakkalsskieter van die Oos- Kaap ry oop en bloot, helder oordag, op ‘n snelweg met dooie jakkalse wat aan die buitekant van sy bakkie gedrapeer is. ‘n Prominente boogiagter vertel in ‘n plaaslike jagtydskrif hoe jy snags wit seile oor waterkrippe moet span en harde musiek daar speel sodat die diere gedwing word om bedags te kom drink waar hulle dan geskiet kan word.

Deesdae skryf amper elke jagter sy eie reels oor jagetiek (sommiges is erg gebuig) en dan is ons verontwaardig as ander daarmee fout vind. Ons het ‘n beheptheid met horinglengtes en kompetisies en pryse vir die beste trofeé. Ons teel hokleeus om te skiet en doen gereeld put and take-jagte.

 En dan wonder ons hoekom ons geteiken word. Iagters moet NOU wakker skrik, saamstaan en optree. Ongelukkig kan ons nie saamstaan ten alle koste nie, want daar is nog te veel ongehoorde dinge wat in die jagveld plaasvind en te veel mense wat optree sonder om te dink.

 As jy die verkeerde probeer verdoesel, goedpraat of verdedig, maak jy jouself net oop vir verdere kritiek en daal jou geloofwaardigheid.

 Ons speel op die oomblik reg in die hande van die groenes… ja, ons voer hulle vet met pitkos. Die ergste is, sommige jagters besef dit blykbaar glad nie. Mooi loop!

Potchefstroom – The South African Predator Breeding Association (SAPBA) has approached the North West University (NWU) to investigate the value of the lion industry in South Africa.

This follows the much publicised killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by American Walter James Palmer, and the recent release of the documentary “Blood Lions” which further put the industry under the spotlight.

The study, which will focus mainly on the main breeding areas of North West and the Free State, will also determine how many lions are part of the industry, as numbers vary between 4 000 and 6 000.

Prof Melville Saayman and his team at the Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society division of the NWU will conduct the study. Saayman has praised the Association’s commitment to improving the industry.