Knowledge is power’ is a famous and often repeated quote, and for good reason. In this age of rapidly developing information technology, specific knowledge is spreading swiftly and often unevenly, resulting in significant and sometimes rapid shifts in power. One need look no further than the recent political upheavals in the Middle East, the so-called Arab Spring, in which social-media communication played a vital role. Closer to home, improvements and shifts in knowledge have significant implications for the Southern African wildlife industry, both positive and potentially threatening.

In the last two months, Cecil the lion has represented a newsworthy flashpoint for the spread of knowledge about wildlife-management practices in southern Africa. I was in the USA at the time the Cecil story broke and was impressed by how almost every layperson I spoke to soon knew about Cecil, no matter how remotely interested in either Africa or wildlife they were. But what exactly did they know? And what are the implications of this widened knowledge that American dentists travel to Africa and pay large amounts of money to shoot lions? In another article, Professor Brian Child delves more deeply into the Cecil issue, but some points are worth noting here.

Knowledge can be shaped by the way in which information is presented: so-called framing.

Framing refers to the way an issue is contextualised and can strongly influence the way in which facts are understood. In the US, anti-hunting and animal rights groups were quick to frame the Cecil issue in ways that suit their agenda. For example, Ingrid Newkirk, founder and President of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, framed Cecil’s killing as a murder and called for the hunter, Walter Palmer, to be hanged.

The notion that sport hunters are murderers is one that animal rights groups are keen to cultivate and spread, and it seems that these groups are gaining traction, with serious potential consequences for the hunting industry: public opinion appears to be increasingly turning against trophy hunting of what are perceived to be both endangered African species and sentient beings. Whereas in the past hunters felt confident that governments would not support international hunting bans, they perhaps failed to anticipate that activist groups can use public opinion as a lever to constrain the industry in other ways: for example, by persuading commercial airline and shipping companies to stop transporting trophies.

Significantly, the Cecil incident was itself a classic example of deficient knowledge management. Cecil was a known lion: he had a name and a radio collar, so that his movement and whereabouts could be monitored and known. He was a tourist icon. In theory, at least, both the professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst and the landowner Honest Ndlovu could have known about Cecil and avoided killing him.

In a well-integrated wildlife management system, it is certainly possible for lion researchers to share information with all relevant industry participants and neighbouring landowners so as to ensure that hunters avoid strategically important or especially valued animals. All it would take is some communication and cooperation. Indeed, if sport hunting of iconic species is to have any future in Southern Africa, it seems that improved communication and cooperation will be essential.

What is the best way to ensure the effective flow of information and spread of knowledge? In one of the most influential academic articles ever written, The Use of Knowledge in Society, Nobel Prize-winning economist Friedrich von Hayek argues convincingly that knowledge is by nature widely dispersed and often context-specific. Problems of economic co-ordination, he argues, are best solved through the market and the price system. Central planning typically fails because it is unable to sufficiently account for all the variation and specificity so as to lead to efficient, effective and sustainable practices. This is the main argument against excessive centralisation of authority and overregulation, a theme further explored in a new book, The Evolution of Everything by the esteemed science author Matt Ridley. Using multiple examples, Ridley argues that the world is essentially a ‘bottom-up’ place and that ‘top-downery’ is the source of most of the world’s problems.

What are the implications of these insights for the wildlife industry? Consistent with these arguments, it is clear that market reforms, such as recognizing devolved ownership of wild lands and wildlife (through, for example, the Theft of Game Act in South Africa) and the removal of excessive agricultural regulations from the Apartheid era, played a vital role in stimulating South Africa’s modern wildlife economy. Enabling diverse private landowners to experiment with a range of approaches has resulted in remarkable innovations in game breeding and wildlife management. And Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) evolved as a bottom-up initiative to represent this industry.

The challenge for the industry is to continue to build upon this knowledge and ensure that information is disseminated in a constructive way, especially to policy makers and regulators at home and abroad, so as to ensure that regulation enables industry development and does not stifle it. In South Africa, experience with the TOPS Regulations provides a significant case in point.

When South Africa hosts the CITES Conference of Parties in Johannesburg in late September 2016, we can expect our wildlife industry practices to be placed in the international media spotlight. Activist groups concerned with animal rights, animal welfare, wildlife preservation and social justice will be asking challenging questions, especially in relation to contentious issues such as South Africa’s policy approach to rhino poaching, the commercial captive breeding of lions, colour-variant breeding, controversial hunting practices and the extent to which the industry benefits a broad spectrum of South African people.

Many overseas organisation’s completely reject the principle of sustainable use of wildlife and favour pure preservation. Others only support sustainable use in the context of meaningful social transformation (that is, if the principal beneficiaries are previously disadvantaged rural communities living alongside wildlife) and if certain environmental management and animal welfare standards are maintained. At the time of the CITES CoP, South Africa will have a unique opportunity to demonstrate its track record with credible supporting evidence — or risk failing to win crucial international support, with potentially severe longer-term policy consequences. Both public opinion and inappropriate policies have the potential to affect import and export aspects of the wildlife industry in various ways, whether impacting on trophy hunters and other tourists, or on the ability to trade internationally in live animals, meat and other products. ls the industry adequately prepared to put its best foot forward? If we fail to convince the world that South Africa’s wildlife industry is not only sustainable, equitable and ethical, but also essential to both the environmental and economic wellbeing of our country, we risk the imposition of further top-down restrictions. The damage INDUSTRY & AUCTIONS already caused by onerous restrictions on rhino ownership and trade should be self-evident. Further restrictions affecting other species would most likely worsen the situation. We can already expect a CITES Appendix l up-listing proposal for the African lion, and the recent release of the film Blood Lions, an expose” of South Africa’s captive-lion breeding industry, may serve to further influence public opinion (and that of international policy makers) against this country. The industry cannot afford to be complacent.

 So what could wildlife industry participants do to improve knowledge and understanding of the industry? To some extent, information already exists about the numbers of animals within certain species, their genetics and their economic values as reflected by auction price records. However, there seems to be room for improvement in this data, especially as census techniques are improved and DNA testing technology becomes increasingly accessible. Individual landowners and breeders are most likely already accumulating information to improve their own performance, but where possible they should also do so with a view to sharing such information more widely, especially as related to the socio-economic benefits of their operations, numbers and genetics of important species, the conditions under which such species are managed, and the extent to which their stocks can be considered as ‘wild’ versus captive or farmed. The issue of intensification in wildlife management is one of significant concern to conservationists and animal welfare organisations alike,and likely to become an increasing policy focus, with possible major regulatory implications. Aside from ensuring that certain animal INDUSTRY & AUCTIONS and welfare standards are maintained, we need to gain a better understanding of the extent to which wildlife ranchers are contributing to the stated conservation goals of the IUCN and to what extent they are operating within the realm of agriculture, potentially falling outside of those goals. And given that many international (and even local) observers feel that wildlife should be treated as a public, not private, resource, wildlife ranchers would be advised to demonstrate the broader public benefits of their operations, if not to conservation, then at least as contributing to economic development that is of particular benefit to the previously disadvantaged.

Good monitoring and sound record keeping are a first step towards establishing standards of best practice for the wildlife industry. These standards can form the basis for future forms of certification that can win support from international trading partners. Such a proactive, bottom-up, market- and industry-driven approach based on sound, fact-based knowledge is far more likely to benefit the industry than the imposition of further national and international regulations.

 Wildlife industry participants should not only acquire as much further useful knowledge as possible, but also share and disseminate it widely and present it strategically in order to reframe the way in which the industry is increasingly perceived by the public and regulators that they influence.

Lions bred for slaughter in South Africa is big business. Over 700 captive-bred, hand-reared lions were killed in the country last year, fueling a multimillion-dollar international industry.

 ‘Blood Lions’ follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about predator breeding and canned lion hunting. Michler investigates the breeding farms where lions are hand-reared to be sold to the hunting industry. We witness the results of battery farming that provide stark contrast to lives of wild lions.

Aggressive farmers resent Michler’s questions, but the high ly profitable commercialisation of lions is plain to see – cub petting, volunteer recruitment, lion walking, hunting, and the new lion bone trade are all on the increase. It is a story that blows the lid off all the conservation claims made by the breeders and hunters in attempting to justify what they do.

The screening is to be held at Maritzburg College in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall on the 19th of October at l7h30. Tickets are R80.00pp and can be booked at: collegebloodlions@gmail.com. Tickets will also be available at the door. Secure parking is available on Princess Margaret Drive. (For the protection of our basketball court surface, ladies are requested not to wear high heeled/ stiletto shoes.)

The lion industry wants to get its house in order, according to Prof Melville Saayman, from the department of Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society at the University of the North-West.

The South African Predator Breeding Association (SAPBA) had contacted Saayman to investigate the value of the country’s lion breeding industry. The investigation would focus on the main breeding areas of the Free State and North West, and would also determine the number of lion kept by the industry. This was thought to be between 4 000 and 6 000, Saayman said.

Access to farms had been organised by SAPBA, he told Farmer’s Weekly. Breeders were reluctant to open their doors following films such as Blood Lions and the shooting of Cecil the lion.

“After the visits, we will suggest how to address any problems found. One almost feels it is too late and that we should have started earlier,” he said.

Most breeders were situated in the Free State and North West, according to him.

 “Each province has guidelines and we have to view a breeder [according to] the province’s guidelines. We are going with an open agenda.

“It is important… that we get statistics on the table that are verified, and not data that is thumb-sucked, as often happens.”

Saayman said that there was a lot of speculation about the value of the industry, but that most of it was inaccurate and generated by those opposed to the industry.

“We now have the chance to look at both sides,” he said, adding that the recent Blood Lions documentary portrayed a skewed picture of the industry, but nevertheless succeeded in indentifying offences that needed to be curbed.

The documentary shows lions living in poor conditions and revealed that more than 100 lions were used for canned hunting in South Africa per year, according to a release.

 “Blood Lions created a bad impression of the industry and one of our challenges will be to rectify the situation. There are undesirable practices that harm the whole industry. However, this can be attributed to only a few people,” Saayman said.

He added that more could be done to distribute South Africa’s lion population more evenly and utilise the animals, such as in improving gene pools and assisting in ecotourism.

Saayman praised SAPBA’s commitment to improving the industry. He said that the government had specific guidelines regulating the hunting of captive-bred lions, and that if farms fell within these guidelines, legally hunting lions on such farms did not constitute ‘canned’ hunting.

‘Blood Lions – Bred for the Bullet’, a compelling documentary which takes audiences inside the canned lion hunting and predator breeding industry in South Africa, will premiere on South African television, on Discovery, channel 121 on Sunday 11th October at 22:00 pm.

‘Blood Lions’ follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about the multi-million dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa. Since 1999, Ian Michler has been following this story, as he goes onto the breeding farms to witness the impacts that decades of intensive breeding is having on the captive lions and other predators.

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. There is also hope in their story as they cover the very latest developments with the Australian government announcing a complete ban on the importation of all African lion trophies into Australia.

In parallel to that, the documentary also follows Rick, who purchases a lion online from his home in Hawaii. He then travels to South Africa to follow the path most canned hunters do. ‘Blood Lions’ also speak to trophy hunters, operators and breeders, as well as recognized lion ecologists, conservationists and animal welfare experts.

‘Blood Lions’ came about about four years ago, when in 2011, Pippa Hankinson visited a private lion breeding farm for the first time. Here she found approximately 80 lions in small enclosures, many visibly inbred and clearly stressed. She was deeply disturbed by her experience. Determined to find out more, she learnt that there were between 6,000 and 8,000 lions living in similar conditions on other breeding farms around South Africa – part of a multimillion-dollar industry – where the majority are sold into the captive/canned lion hunting industry or to Asia to supplement the “tiger bone” trade. Most shocking of all was not only that the industry was legal, but how few people seemed to know anything about it.

A documentary seemed the most effective way to raise awareness around the exploitation of these captive-bred lions, but never having made a film before, Pippa set about gathering a proficient and committed team of professionals around her. Along with the extraordinary generosity and support of individuals and organisations from around the world, they helped her make this film.

Pippa often quotes Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Animals have always mattered a great deal to her, but Africa’s wildlife and particularly lions, are very close to her heart.

‘Blood Lions – Bred for the Bullet’ is a story that will blow the lid off claims made by the operators involved 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, and every single day in South Africa, at least two to three captive bred or tame lions are being killed in canned hunts. Hundreds more are slaughtered annually for the lion bone trade. The ‘Blood Lions’ story is a compelling call to action to have these practices stopped.

‘Blood Lions – Bred for the Bullet’ will premiere on South African television on Discovery, channel 121, on Sunday 11th October 2015 at 22:00pm.

Screenings of the film will also be shown at the following venues:

In Mpumalanga on 12 October at 18h30, Uplands College – White River, and on 13 October at 18h00, Southern Cross School, Community Centre, Hoedspruit. As well as in Durban on 15 October at 18h30, Ster Kinekor – Musgrave.

Die leeujagbedryf het vanj aar wéreldwyd opskrifte gehaal nadat ‘n Amerikaner tot groot omstredenheid vir Cecil die Leeu in Zimbabwe geskiet het.

Op eie bodem het die dokumentér Blood Lions, die ton- ge laat klap. Hierin word daar gewys hoe leeus in haglike om- standighede leef en mishandel word. Ge- blikte leeujag lok ook groot konstema- sie uit, met meer as 1 000 leeus wat jaar- liks op hierdie wyse geskiet word.

 Kenners is dit eens dat dit tyd is om die leeubedryf in or- de te kry. Daarom het die South African Predator Breeding Association (SAPBA) vir prof. Melville Saayman en sy span by TREES (Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society) by die Noordwes-Universiteit se Potchefstroomkampus genader om na die waarde van die leeubedryf in Suid-Afrika te kyk.

Dié studie, wat meestal op die hoofteelare- as van Noordwes en die Vrystaat gefokus gaan wees, gaan ook kyk hoeveel leeus daar in die bedryf is, want syfers wissel tussen 4 000 en 6 000. “‘n Verbod op jag in Zimbabwe en die gepaardgaande verlies aan inkom- ste vir Zimbabwiers beteken dat sowat 2.3 miljoen kinders nou van die nodige hulpmiddele ontneem is. Dit beteken dat die on- derwyssektor daar- onder ly, dit beteken dat brood uit hul bor- de geneem word. Dit beteken dat 2.3 mil- joen kinders slegter daartoe af is en hul reeds lac lewensge- halte nog verswak het oor ‘n ondeurdag- te besluit deur die re- gering,” sé Saay- man. “Ons sien reeds dat stropery en werk- loosheid toeneem. Dit is nie ‘n gesonde situasie nie.”

Volgens Saayman het die Blood Lions dokumentér die be- dryf se prentjie iet- wat skeef getrek, maar ook daarin ge- slaag om die kollig op misdrywe, wat uitgewis moet word, te plaas.

“Blood Lions het ‘n slegte indruk oor die bedryf geskep en een van ons uitdagings gaan wees om dit reg te stel. Daar is ongewenste praktyke wat die hele bedryf skade aandoen. Dit kan egter slegs aan ‘n paar persone toegeskryf word, maar dit lei tog daartoe dat daar wanpersepsies oor die bedryf geskep word. Daar is een of twee vrot appels in die leeuhok.”

Saayman sé dat Suid-Afrika se leeupopulasie ver daarvan is om gevaarligte te laat flikker, maar meer kan gedoen word om leeus effektief te versprei en beter te benut.

 “Ons gaan ook kyk waarheen gaan die oor- skot leeus, want daar moet gekyk word wat sal die beste vir die mark wees. Sommige van die leeus moet terug parke toe gaan en sommiges moet aan nuwe gebiede voorgestel word om die gene-poel te verbeter.

“Daar is verskeie moontlikhede wat die oorskot leeus betref. Hulle kan ‘n opvoedkun- dige doel dien, hulle kan ‘n groot rol in eko- toerisme speel, soos om met leeus te stap, en hulle kan na lande waar daar ‘n tekort is, uitgevoer word.

MARITZBURG College in collaboration with Wildlands Conversation Trust and the film’s producers, brings you the local premiere screening of the internationally acclaimed documentary Blood Lions.

 Lions bred for slaughter in SA is big business. Over 700 captive-bred, hand-reared lions were killed in the country last year, fuelling a multimillion-dollar international industry.

 Blood Lions follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about predator breeding and canned lion hunting.

Michler investigates the breeding farms where lions are hand-reared to be sold to the hunting industry. We witness the results of battery farming that provide stark contrast to lives of wild lions.

 Aggressive farmers resent Michler’s questions, but the highly profitable commercialisation of lions is plain to see – cub petting, volunteer recruitment, lion walking, hunting, and the new lion bone trade are all on the increase.

 It is a story that blows the lid off all the conservation claims made by the breeders and hunters in attempting to justify what they do.

The screening is to be held at Maritzburg College in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall on October l9 at 5.30 pm. Tickets are R80 each and can be booked at: collegebloodlions@gmail.com

Tickets will also be available at the door. Secure parking is available on Princess Margaret Drive. For the protection of the basketball court surface, women are requested not to wear high heeled/stiletto shoes.

 This challenging conservation production is being hosted at Maritzburg College in acknowledgement of their efforts and support of Project Rhino KZN, and the Youth Warriors conservation theme #LetOurVoicesBeHeard. Your support will be appreciated.

Cecil the lion and Blood Lions documentary brings issue of brutality to the fore

THE SA Predator Breeding Association (Sapba) has commissioned a study to investigate the value of the lion industry.

This comes at a time when the lion- hunting industry seeks to overcome the negative backlash after American dentist Walter James Palmer shot dead Cecil, a lion in Zimbabwe, and over local documentary Blood Lions.

The recent development raised shared concern on conditions in which lions are raised and how they are brutally killed every year.

 For this reason, Sapba has approached Prof Melville Saayman and his team at Trees (Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society) at the North West University’s Potchefstroom campus to investigate the value of the lion industry in South Africa.

 His study will focus mainly on the main breeding areas of North West and the Free State to determine the number of lions in the industry, estimated to be between 4000 and 6000.

 ln his brief, Prof Saayman said: “A ban on hunting in Zimbabwe and the accompanying loss of income for Zimbabweans means that about 2.3 million children are now deprived of the necessary aids. This means that the education sector is suffering, it means that bread is taken from their mouths. lt means that 2.3 million children are worse off and their low quality of life has deteriorated even more as a result of a bad decision by the government.

 “We can already see how poaching is increasing and we see unemployment increasing as well.

 “This is not a healthy situation,” he said. Saayman said the Blood Lions documentary brought to the fore practices that needed to be wiped out.

“Blood Lions created a bad impression of the industry and one of our challenges will be to rectify the situation. There are undesirable practices that harm the whole industry. However, this can be attributed to only a few people, but still leads to the fact that misconceptions about the industry are created.

There are one or two bad apples in the lion cage,” he said.

The study would also focus on how best lions can be evenly distributed should they become too many for their habitat.

 “We will also determine what must be done with the surplus lions, because it has to be determined what is best for the market. Some of the lions have to go back to the parks and some must be introduced to new areas to improve the gene pool. We have a healthy number of lions in the country and thanks to our breeding programmes we are not in a dangerous situation, but we will have to see what is going to happen with the surplus lions,” Saayman said.

“Surplus lions can serve an educational purpose, they can play a major role in ecotourism, like walking with lions and, as was mentioned before, they can be distributed to improve the gene pool in the country.

 “Of course we can also export lions to countries where there is a shortage of lions. This will mean that those countries will have to guarantee that they will care for the lions.

We did that in the past, but then the animals were poached,” he said The investigation is also anticipated to play a leading role in bringing back the respect it lost as a result of the Cecil and Blood Lions issues.

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.