Media Articles – Page 11

Urgent questions about the welfare of wildlife that Parliament needs to ask

This is an excerpt from an article written by Don Pinnock and published online by Daily Maverick on 26 August, 2020.

As Department of Agriculture officials file into a meeting with Parliament’s Environmental Portfolio Committee on Friday (August 28) to explain the animal welfare laws they administer and the implications of listing 93 wild animals under the Meat Safety Act, many important questions remain unanswered.

Responsibility for the protection of wild animals straddles the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and is falling through the cracks.

The situation is so confusing that in 2018 Parliament passed a resolution demanding that the two departments present a clear programme of action to address the issue. Two years later there’s no evidence of this being complied with and there seems to be little communication between the departments on this.

In that time both departments have muddied the water even further. A high-level panel appointed under Environment Minister Barbara Creecy to review wildlife policy doesn’t mention animal welfare in its Terms Of Reference. And the Department of Agriculture has been “protecting” wild animals by declaring more than 100 subject to farming regulations.

So when MPs meet Agriculture officials some urgent questions need answering. A puzzling but pressing one to begin with is: What’s a wild animal?

The answer seems self-evident, but in South Africa it’s a moving target. Late in 2019, 32 wild animals, including lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, lions and cheetahs, were listed under the Animal Improvement Act (AIA), effectively rendering them farm animals subject to manipulation and consumption.

SA tarnished by abusive captive lion industry on World Lion Day, says watchdog

This is an excerpt from an article published online by IOL on 11 August, 2020.

Cape Town – Humane Society International South Africa has highlighted the shocking fact that there almost four times more lions in cruel captivity in the country than there are in the wild.

On World Lion Day, it believes the government should be doing much more to alleviate the plight of an estimated 11 000 lions held captive in more than 300 facilities across the country, which are continually exposed to poor conditions and welfare standards, inhumane slaughter and pending cruelty cases.

Lions exist in only 8% of their former range and are suffering from a loss of habitat and prey, in addition to being decimated by trophy hunting, Humane Society International South Africa said.

“Like the pitiful circuses of old, the clock is ticking for this abusive industry and the South African government should be doing more to hasten its end,” said Audrey Delsink, wildlife director for Humane Society International-Africa.

“As consumers become increasingly aware of the cruel and exploitative practices in captive lion breeding and its spin-off industries, taking concrete steps to shut down this profit-driven, putrid trade would be a fitting way to honour World Lion Day.”

In addition to the serious welfare and conservation concerns, the Covid-19 pandemic has also placed the spotlight on infectious disease outbreaks linked to the wildlife trade.

Blood Lions launches global awareness campaign on World Lion Day

This is an excerpt from an article compiled by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 10 August, 2020

Blood Lions is once again urging Minister Barbara Creecy to scrap the lion bone export quota, and destroy all existing bone stockpiles.

The iconic wild lion is increasingly becoming less of a respected animal and more of a commodity, with thousands living and being bred in captivity across South Africa.

To raise awareness of the importance of lions for conservation, culture and tourism this World Lion Day, Blood Lions in partnership with World Animal Protection has launched the 800 Voices for 800 Lions campaign.

World Lion Day: No reason to celebrate in South Africa

This is an excerpt from an article written by Iga Motylska and published online by Conservation Action Trust on 9 August, 2020

World Lion Day (10 August) celebrates one of South Africa’s most iconic species, yet despite dwindling wild lion numbers, they are also threatened by a burgeoning trade sanctioned by the Department for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF).

Since the Cook Report exposed South Africa’s canned lion hunting industry in 1997, captive lion numbers have steadily increased. Around 8 000 to 12 000 captive-bred lions are kept in more than 360 lion breeding facilities across the country. Many of these operate under expired permits while being non-compliant with the Animals Protection Act (APA) or the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations.

The Blood Lions documentary (2015) and Unfair Game book (2020) both exposed how these breeding facilities frequently prioritise profit over welfare. Lions often lack the most basic welfare requirements, such as sufficient food and water, adequate living space and medical care. Without adequate legislation or welfare audits to hold facilities accountable, there’s little incentive to maintain healthy lions, especially when their value is found in their skeletons.

“We need norms and standards which are aligned to APA and that speak to the absolute best welfare practices available,” says Douglas Wolhuter, National Senior Inspector and Manager of the NSPCA Wildlife Protection Unit.

These commercial facilities farm lions for petting parks and walking safaris which feed into the “canned” (captive) hunting industry and bone trade. Others punt fraudulent voluntourism initiatives that parade as conservation projects or sell lions into the legal live wildlife trade.

Lodge loses defamation case against Blood Lions

This is an excerpt from an article written by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 2 August, 2020

Ukutula Lodge admitted that the film does not expressly implicate it in the canned hunting and lion bone trade, and the case has been dismissed with costs.

Ukutula Lodge’s application for injunctive relief against Blood Lions and its crew, launched in September last year, has been unsuccessful.

The film, launched in July 2015, sought to educate viewers in the potential links between breeding lions in captivity and the array of revenue streams within the industry, explained safari operator, and lead character and researcher of Blood Lions, Ian Michler.

Ukutula Lodge felt it was defamed by the documentary. The facility was included in the film because it happens to be one of the largest captive predator facilities, and offers cub petting.

The lodge wanted all depictions, references and images of them removed from the film, as well as a formal written statement confirming no evidence found any link between Ukutula and the canned lion hunting and trade industry.

South Africa breeds lions and tigers for traditional medicine

This is an excerpt from an article written by Louise de Waal and published online by The South African on 29 July, 2020

In support of World Tiger Day on 29 July, Blood Lions puts the focus on the international trade in tiger body parts and makes the link to South Africa’s legal lion bone trade, in their latest campaign movement.

Since 2008, nearly 7,000 lion skeletons weighing a total of around 70 tonnes have been exported from South Africa to South East Asia for use in traditional Asian medicine practices.

This trade in lion bones is “supplementing and feeding the demand for tiger bones with a cheaper supply, against which criminal networks are making significant profits. The lion bone trade is keeping the desirability and demand for tiger very much alive, which is a huge problem for tiger conservation,” says Debbie Banks, Campaign Leader for Tigers and Wildlife Crime – Environmental Investigation Agency.

Since the beginning of the 20^th Century, 95% of the world’s wild tiger population has disappeared and this magnificent big cat is now highly endangered. With fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, every conservation effort protecting these apex predators in their natural habitat needs global support to avoid extinction.

Miracle cures and bling – How SA is killing the world’s last living wild tigers

This is an excerpt from an article written by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 29 July, 2020

South Africa’s lion bone export quotas make it easy to trade tiger parts and bones destined for Asian markets, putting further pressure on the last remaining wild tigers.

There are fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, 95% fewer than there were since the start of the 20th Century.

Every indication points to this number dwindling fast, giving animal rights organisations very little time to save wild tigers from extinction.

If tigers become extinct, the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of human beings. At this rate, there may not be many World Tiger Day celebrations left.

The sinister business of breeding and trading tigers has been a serious concern for animal rights groups for many years. Despite this, these illegal activities still take place throughout South Africa, with many citizens boasting about owning a tiger cub in their backyard.

International Tiger Day: Still no protection for these majestic cats under SA law

This is an excerpt from an article written by Mike Cadman and published online by IOL on 29 July, 2020.

Today (Wednesday 29 July) is International Tiger Day, an event designed to raise awareness to the dire circumstances facing the world’s largest cat. There are fewer than 4000 tigers left in the wild and they now are found in only about four percent of their original range.

The last thing these endangered creatures need is more threats to their existence but unfortunately the South African government’s policies on the captive breeding of tigers and lions amounts to just that – a major conservation problem which is contributing to the plight of wild tigers in Asia.

According to several South African based NGO’s there are between 1000 – 1500 tigers held, often alongside lions, leopards, jaguars and other cats, in at least 60 breeding facilities around the country. There are between 8 000 – 12 000 lions held in captivity in South Africa.

“Although, as most people know tigers are not indigenous to South Africa, they are bred here for live export top zoos elsewhere in the world, for their skins and even for their bones which are used in traditional Eastern medicine,” Blood Lions, one of several organizations campaigning against the continued captive breeding and trade in big cats.

Update: the most recent statistics by the World Animal Foundation show an increase in tiger numbers as of 2023 with 5,574 tigers believed to be living in the wild.

Government ‘playing with fire’ by refusing to scrap canned lion hunting

This is an excerpt from an article written by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 17 July, 2020

The Citizen spoke to Unfair Game author Lord Ashcroft about his views on how South Africa must urgently halt the continuation of canned lion hunting and trade, and other wildlife crime syndicates.

One of Lord Ashcroft’s recommendations emphasised that South Africa must communicate the message that it is wrong for tourists to pet or touch lions.

Wildlife panel secrecy leaves lions in limbo

This is an excerpt from an article written by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 16 July, 2020

Conservation groups have accused the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries’ high-level panel of bias, saying they’re putting the lives of both the animals and workers at risk, and exposing them to possible diseases.

South Africa has a disproportionate captive versus wild lion population. There are currently an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 lions in captivity in more than 360 facilities throughout the country. This compared to around 3,000 wild lions left in South Africa.

It has been over nine months since a high-level panel (HLP) was formed by Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) minister Barbara Creecy, but since then the validity and efficacy of the panel has been brought into question, amid an extended call for public submissions on topics that are not being communicated.