9 March 2021

A joint scientific study by Blood Lions and World Animal Protection highlights how the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa poses a real and serious health risk to thousands of tourists, industry workers and its communities.

“Five major diseases (dubbed The Sick 5 in our new campaign) have been identified that can inflict serious health issues for people”, says Dr Louise de Waal (Director of Blood Lions). “These diseases are associated with at least 63 potentially harmful pathogens linked with both wild and captive lions, as identified in our peer-reviewed paper.”

Underestimating the impact of such pathogens and the associated zoonotic diseases could lead to future epidemics with reductions in life expectancy, increased child and maternal death and serious socio-economic consequences.

The Sick 5 are Human Ehrlichiosis, Human Babesiosis, African Sleeping Sickness, Toxocariasis and Trichinosis.

The first two are tick-borne diseases, where the bacteria and parasite respectively are transmitted from animals to people by ticks. Toxocariasis and Trichinosis parasites are transmitted more directly to humans, the former for example by handling faeces contaminated soil and the latter has a direct animal-human transmission.

African Sleeping Sickness (or Trypanosomiasis) is caused by a parasite transmitted by the tsetse fly and is listed as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Over the last century, this disease has caused several epidemics in Africa.

In South Africa, more than 8,000 lions are bred and kept on commercial farms for tourism activities, captive hunting, the bone trade and live exports. These wildlife farms can be a hot bed for diseases, especially when poor hygiene, poor diet, and other stresses associated with captivity weaken the animal’s immune system. Such welfare issues were highlighted as commonly occurring on South Africa’s commercial lion farms in a recent NSPCA report.

Furthermore, contagious diseases can spread rapidly when large numbers, and sometimes even different species, of wild animals are kept in the same enclosures, as this increases the risk of transmission.

Despite the large number of lions bred in captivity in South Africa and the long list of diseases found to affect them, the researchers did not find any scientific studies investigating health and diseases on commercial lion farms here in South Africa. Without this vital information it is impossible to effectively prevent, monitor or manage potential health risks on these farms, particularly considering this industry is poorly regulated and animal welfare enforcement lies with the NSPCA only.

“Our research identified substantial gaps in our knowledge base concerning the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa, which can have huge health implications for tourists interacting with lions, farm staff caring for the animals, taxidermists preparing the trophies, and slaughterhouse workers killing lions and preparing their skeletons”, says de Waal.

To avoid potential health risks and future pandemics, the Blood Lions “The Sick 5” campaign focusses on three major calls to action for members of the public and other entities:

1. Asking the public to stop interacting with captive wildlife – an industry that has been condemned by global conservation authorities and leaders in the tourism sector.
2. Urging the South African Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) to set a zero CITES lion bone export quota.
3. Calling for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to curb the global wildlife trade.

Link to peer-reviewed paper on zoonosis: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1692/htm

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and global campaign that works to bring an end to predator breeding and “canned” hunting industries in South Africa.
  www.bloodlions.org

23 December 2020

Durban, South Africa [23 December 2020] – Green Kids Club, Inc. announced today the release of the seventh title in its “Environmental Heroes” book series.  The new book, the title of which includes fun word play alluding to the main animal characters is called, “A Tail of Three Lions”.  The story is about a young lion cub named Tau living in Africa who looks to rescue his brother from hunters, and introduces the concepts of poaching and exploitation as well as recognized lion sanctuaries to children.

A Tail of Three Lions is co-written by Sylvia Medina, founder of Green Kids Club and Ian Michler, the lead character of the award-winning documentary, Blood Lions and co-leader of the related campaign to end practices like farming, poaching and other forms of exploitation threatening African lions.  The book is illustrated empathetically by Morgan Spicer and, with rich photographs in the back pages following the story, also introduces children to facts about lions, their habitat and human threats.   

Co-Author and Blood Lions co-leader, Ian Michler, commented, “Humanity has an abusive relationship with the environment and all other species, and much of this is due to a lack of appropriate education and awareness during our school years. Green Kids Club and its thoughtful books geared to children such as A Tail of Three Lions play such a significant role in filling this knowledge gap.  In addition, by purchasing the book you are also supporting lion conservation in the wild and efforts that are aimed at securing the survival of Africa’s most iconic species.”  

Author, and Founder of Green Kids Club, Sylvia Medina commented, “I am thrilled to collaborate on this book with Ian, who has well-documented the unfortunate circumstances of lion farming, exploitation and poaching, pioneering his research in the Blood Lions movie and by leading an associated campaign to end all of these threatening practices.  Just over a century ago over 200,000 lions were living in Africa and today there are only between 14,000 and 25,000 left. As with all the books in this Environmental Heroes series, we hope to educate elementary-aged children about the challenges animals face in their environments and how humans can both be a hindrance as well as a help for them to thrive.”

The Environmental Heroes series are books featuring stories about animals and their survival, often with human heroes that help them on their journey, and, in addition to today’s title release, include the following titles: Grizzly 399; Learning About Elephants; Princess; Little Moyo; Molelo, The Fire Elephant; and, Elee and the Shining Star.  The stories take children on adventures while at the same time helping them to learn about natural resources, conservation, preservation and appreciation for animals and their habitats.

About Green Kids Club

Green Kids Club (GKC) was founded by Sylvia Medina, an environmental engineer, activist and mother of three.  GKC encourages children to be the protectors of our environment and endangered species. GKC works with, and, by donating sales proceeds from its books, supports non-profit initiatives including: Elephants Without Borders, Love the Wild Foundation, Saving the Survivors, The Cougar Fund and Orang Utan Republik Foundation.  GKC also works with schools across the USA and internationally, including locations in Belize and Botswana. To purchase Green Kids Club books, go to https://www.greenkidsclub.com/shop or to their Facebook page.

About Ian Michler

Ian Michler has spent the last thirty years working as a safari operator, specialist guide, environmental photojournalist and consultant across Africa. He has published seven natural history books on Africa and his writing has appeared in a broad range of local and international publications.  Ian is also the lead character, researcher and co-leader of the related campaign for the award-winning documentary Blood Lions.  Blood Lions, which was distributed by PBS International, follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler, and American hunter, Rick Swazey, on their journey to uncover the realities of the multi-million dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa. He is based in South Africa, where he runs his safari company, Invent Africa (www.inventafrica.com).

—— ENDS ——

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions website: www.bloodlions.org

4 December 2020

Condemnation of South Africa’s captive lion breeding industry and its associated spin-off industries has increased globally, with lion scientists, conservation bodies, international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and SA’s leading tourism body presenting a joint pack of letters to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries that all call for a ban.

CAPE TOWN – Representatives from two conservation and animal welfare organisations – Humane Society International-Africa (HSI-Africa) and Blood Lions – backed by other NGOs, scientists and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) ­– presented five separate letters to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries today.

In their letter, 41 international and national animal welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) assert that “… the captive lion breeding industry lacks regulations, enforcement controls and standards. Industry-generated Norms and Standards are voluntary and are not enforceable. As a result, there are pending cruelty prosecutions of lion breeding facilities for contraventions of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.”

Bred for slaughter
South Africa has 400+ facilities with approximately 10 000 – 12 000 lions in captivity for commercial use in cub petting, canned hunting and the lion bone trade. According to HSI-Africa, most lion trophies exported from South Africa are lions that originate from the country’s notorious captive lion breeding industry.

“These animals are bred with the intention of slaughter, one way or another, whether for their bones or as hunted trophies. In addition to the global opposition to trophy hunting, the cruelty of ‘canned hunting’ is making South Africa a pariah in conservation and animal welfare and protection communities,” said HSI-Africa wildlife director Audrey Delsink.

The NGO letter also raises a red flag relating to pandemics: “The current Covid-19 pandemic causing global chaos with its credible link to wildlife utilisation should be raising concerns about the zoonotic risks, including tuberculosis, associated with the unregulated, inadequately monitored intensive breeding, slaughter and utilisation of lions.” 

A recent study by Blood Lions and World Animal Protection identified 63 pathogens recorded in both wild and captive lions, as well as 83 diseases and clinical symptoms associated with these pathogens. This includes pathogens that can be passed from lions to other animals and to humans.

HSI-Africa and Blood Lions are among the stakeholders that made comprehensive submissions on captive lion breeding to the Ministerial High-Level Panel that was appointed in November 2019 to review existing policies, legislation and practices relating to the management and handling, breeding, hunting and trade of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros. Their recent presentations were marked by a unanimous call for an end to the captive lion breeding industry.

Read the NGOs’ full letter here: https://bit.ly/3mGk2Pg

No scientific evidence
The scientists’ letter – which represents many leading lion conservation and research organisations, as well as individuals with extensive experience, scientific knowledge and credibility in the field of lion biology, conservation and management – states that “Captive bred lions are not suitable for reintroduction [to the wild] or species restoration and would not be good candidates due to inbreeding and behavioral concerns.”

Dr Louse de Waal, Blood Lions campaign manager, agrees: “There is no published, peer-reviewed evidence to show that the commercial captive lion breeding industry provides direct conservation benefits to wild lions or provides a buffer to lions in the wild.”

The scientists also say that South Africa’s captive lion breeding industry has “created a legal channel for lion bone that formerly did not exist in Asia and are the main supplement for the illegal tiger bone trade to Southeast Asia. Bones from captive bred lions are illegally combined with tiger bones to continue fueling this trade.”

“More and more evidence is showing that the Asian demand for tiger and lion bones and other body parts is driving illegal killings of wild lions in South Africa and in neighbouring countries,” added Dr de Waal. In support of the scientists’ letter asking for an end to captive lion breeding, an additional endorsement letter was also signed by 41 scientists. Signatories to that letter include the US Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).

Read the lion scientists’ full letter here: https://bit.ly/2JzrnBU

The scientists’ endorsement letter: https://bit.ly/2KWjvKX

Impact on tourism
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), joined by 115 national and international tourism organisations, requested Minister Barbara Creecy to:

1. declare a zero CITES export quota for lion bones;
2. declare a moratorium on lion breeding in captive breeding and tourism facilities;
3. no further permits to be issued for new facilities; and
4. bring an end to captive lion breeding and all its associated spin-off industries as Parliament directed in December 2018 through the implementation of the National Assembly Resolutions.

SATSA represents more than 1 300 inbound tourism products across southern Africa. “The voice against tourism experiences that include animal interactions has grown so loud that many tourism businesses are feeling the impact of these changes – irrespective of how ‘ethical’ their approach to animal interactions may be. The impact has also filtered through to how South Africa is being perceived as a tourism destination,” said the association.

Read the tourism full letter here: https://bit.ly/3lE6PFh

SATSA’s endorsement letter: https://bit.ly/3qsdExh

– ENDS –

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Media contact HSI-Africa: Marisol Gutierrez, HSI-Africa media and communications manager, +27 72 358 9531, mgutierrez@hsi.org

Media contact Blood Lions: Dr Louise de Waal, Blood Lions campaign manager, +27 76 148 1533, management@bloodlions.org

Images are available at: https://bloodlions.org/gallery/

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About Humane Society International
Humane Society International works around the globe to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to natural disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms. www.hsi.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HSIAfrica
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hsiafrica
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hsiafrica

About Blood Lions

Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that works to end the predator breeding, canned hunting and lion bone trade industries in South Africa. www.bloodlions.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloodLionsOfficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blood_Lions
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bloodlionsofficial
World Tourism Month video:  Let’s Do Better. Be Better: https://youtu.be/CK0Bt1FGViA

27 September 2020

Lion farms could put public health and thousands of animals at risk of disease.

A joint scientific study by Blood Lions and World Animal Protection highlights how lion farms in South Africa pose a potential health risk to thousands of local and international tourists, as well as the work force and respective communities.

Researchers from the two organisations reviewed almost 150 scientific studies investigating diseases in African lions. They identified 63 pathogens (including bacteria, parasites and viruses) that affect both wild and captive lions, some of which can be passed from lions to other animals, and some to humans. They also compiled a list of 83 diseases and clinical symptoms associated with these pathogens, highlighting the potential harm they can cause to the health of both animals and people.

In South Africa, more than 8,000 lions are bred and kept on commercial farms for tourism, hunting and the bone trade. Wildlife farms can be a hot bed for diseases, especially when poor hygiene, poor diet, and other stresses associated with captivity weaken wild animals’ immune systems. Diseases can spread rapidly when large numbers, and sometimes even different species, of wild animals are kept in the same enclosures, as this increases the risk of transmission.

The health risks are not only of concern for lions but also for people. Zoonotic diseases can be passed between animals and humans when people come in close contact with wildlife. Many lion farms promote direct contact with the animals for tourism activities, where people pay to pet and hand-rear cubs, as well as recreational hunting for “trophies”. Farmed lions are also killed so their bones can be exported to Southeast Asia for use in traditional medicine products, requiring many industry workers to handle lions during the slaughter, preparation and export of the skeletons.

Captive lions can carry a range of harmful pathogens that can affect humans, including Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Despite the large numbers of lions bred in captivity and the long list of diseases found to affect them, the researchers did not find any scientific studies investigating health and diseases on commercial lion farms in South Africa. Without this vital information it is impossible to effectively prevent, monitor or manage potential health risks on these farms.

Dr Louise de Waal, campaign manager for Blood Lions says “the research identified substantial gaps in our knowledge base concerning the captive lion breeding industry, which can have huge health implications for farm workers and tourists. With the High-Level Panel expected to make recommendations to the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) around the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of among others lions before the end of the year, we hope that they will take note of these important findings”.

As the world struggles to respond to the current global health pandemic, it is more important now than ever to be aware of public health risks from contact with wild animals and to reduce risks wherever possible.

“With tourism slowly beginning to reopen, we have the opportunity to do better. To be better. To create a greener and kinder tourism without wildlife exploitation. The kind of tourism that keeps it wild,” de Waal adds.

Please be a voice for our lions and join all the other tourism organisations, as they make a difference by signing our letter, with HSI Africa, addressed to the South African Government calling to stop the captive predator breeding and its associated spin-off industries.

Watch this video clip to learn more:

Online link to tourism letter: https://forms.gle/WCJxpHrQsTRXv5Kr5

Link to peer-reviewed paper on zoonosis: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1692/htm

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa. www.bloodlions.org
• World Animal Protection is a global organisation with 14 offices around the world and for 55 years they have been protecting animals from needless suffering. From the frontlines of disaster zones to the boardrooms of large corporations, they are fighting to create better lives for all animals. www.worldanimalprotection.or.ke

STATEMENT: 10 September 2020

The full bench of the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Division, Pietermaritzburg (the “High Court”) has dismissed the appeal filed by Zanchieta Wild Cat Farm (“Zanchieta”) against the whole of the judgment of the Honourable Ms Justice Mokgohloa, and instructed Zanchieta to pay BLOOD LIONS’ legal costs, including the costs incurred by the employment of Senior Counsel.

On 19 November 2015, Zanchieta launched an application for urgent injunctive relief against the producer and executive producer (collectively, “the producers”) of the documentary feature film, ‘BLOOD LIONS’.

Zanchieta purports to be a wildlife rehabilitation centre and sanctuary. However, Zanchieta failed to disclose in its papers that according to its own brochure provided to volunteers it also acts as a nursery for cubs that are brought to the farm by neighbouring breeders to be hand-raised before they are allegedly relocated into reserves.

Images of Zanchieta’s lions as well as an interview with one of its representatives were included in the documentary as well as on various websites/pages including Facebook and YouTube. In its founding papers, Zanchieta alleged that the images and footage were defamatory of it insofar as it associated Zanchieta with canned lion hunting and the lion bone trade. It was further alleged that as a result of this association volunteer agencies now refused to refer volunteers to Zanchieta, this being its primary source of income. The urgency of the application was based on screenings of the documentary which were to be held in the United Kingdom on Friday, 27 November 2015 and Saturday, 28 November 2015.

Accordingly, Zanchieta sought to prevent of all further screenings of the film and requested that an amended version of the documentary be redistributed excluding all images, footage and references to Zanchieta. Zanchieta also sought a correction to be included in the amended version recording that Zanchieta is not involved with canned lion hunting or the lion bone trade.

BLOOD LIONS’ legal team of Andrea Gabriel SC and Peter Whelan and Alan Wright of Bowman Gilfillan Incorporated raised non-joinder and certain jurisdictional points. It was also argued on behalf of the producers that any reference to Zanchieta was not defamatory and that it had failed to make out a case for urgent injunctive relief.

The application was heard in the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Division, Pietermaritzburg by Mokgohloa J on Friday, 27 November 2015. The urgent application for relief was not granted and judgment was reserved until the following week with the screenings in the United Kingdom going ahead as planned.

On 2 December 2015, Mokgohloa J granted an order dismissing the application in its entirety together with costs, including the costs of senior counsel (the “Order”). In handing down the Order Mokgohloa J commented that she had viewed the footage. Reasons therefore were delivered on 22 August 2016 (the “Reasons”).

Thereafter, and on 12 September 2016, Zanchieta filed an application for leave to appeal to the full bench of the High Court against the whole of the Order as well as the Reasons, which application was granted by Mokgohloa J on 11 April 2017 (the “Appeal”).

The Appeal was first set down for hearing on 30 July 2018 before the Honourable Mr Justice Seegobin, the Honourable Mr Justice Vahed and the Honourable Mr Justice Mngadi. 

Zanchieta however erred in its preparation of the record. In the result, inter alia, the hearing of the Appeal was postponed sine die so as to allow Zanchieta to rectify the record.

This notwithstanding, Zanchieta failed to remedy the record and solely as a result of the efforts of BLOOD LIONS and its legal team was the Appeal set down for hearing, and heard, on 4 September 2020.

On the same day as the hearing of the Appeal, the full bench of the High Court dismissed the appeal, and instructed Zanchieta to pay BLOOD LIONS’ legal costs, including the costs incurred by the employment of Senior Counsel.

The Blood Lions team is extremely happy with this outcome, and would like to thank our legal team Advocate Andrea Gabriel SC, and Peter Whelan and Alan Wright of Bowman Gilfillan for their incredible support once again.

—— ENDS ——

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa. www.bloodlions.org

10 August 2020

Today is World Lion Day (10 August) – a day to celebrate one of Africa’s most iconic species and to raise awareness on conservation issues and efforts globally. Lions are recognised for their importance not only from a nature conservation and ecological point of view, but also symbolically, culturally and in terms of tourism.

The significance and dignity of wild lions in South Africa have sadly been replaced by the commodification of captive bred lions.

Today, Blood Lions in partnership with World Animal Protection, has launched a global campaign called, 800 Voices for 800 Lions, to create awareness and drive action around the lion bone trade from South Africa to Southeast Asia.

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that allows the intensive captive breeding and keeping of lions and other big cats for commercial purposes. In 350+ facilities, thousands of lions, cheetahs, leopards, caracals, servals, and many exotic species, such as tigers, jaguars, pumas, and even ligers (a crossbreed between lions and tigers), are bred and kept in mostly substandard conditions.

“We want to inspire the public to raise their voice for lions by letting their imagination flow freely in creating a lion masterpiece, whether this is painting, drawing, photography, music, poetry or dance. We are aiming for at least 800 pieces of lion art, representing the quota of 800 lion skeletons South Africa exported every year for use in traditional medicine that have no proven curative benefits,” says Dr Louise de Waal (Campaign Manager, Blood Lions).

For more than a decade, South Africa has been supplementing the demand for tiger bones in South East Asia for the use in traditional Asian medicine practices, with a steady supply of lion bones from the captive population. Since 2008, nearly 7,000 lion skeletons weighing a total of around 70 tonnes have been exported from South Africa.

“In an attempt to increase the profitability of this breeding industry, especially when it comes to the lion bone trade, animal welfare is often not a priority. Lack of adequate basic animal welfare conditions, such as sufficient water, food, space, shelter and medical care, is sadly inevitable and a stark reality in most commercial breeding farms”, states the World Animal Protection.

In 2016, an official lion bone export quota from the captive population was agreed at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) through an annotation to Appendix II.

Subsequently, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries set a legal export quota of 800 skeletons in 2017 and 2018, although both quotas lacked a sound scientific basis and were solely driven by the economic principle of supply and demand.

“We urge Honourable Barbara Creecy, Minister of the South African Department for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, to implement a permanent Zero lion bone CITES export quota for lion skeletons, parts and derivatives and destroy all existing bone stockpiles”, adds de Waal.

Watch this short film to learn more:

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa. www.bloodlions.org
• World Animal Protection is a global organisation with 14 offices around the world and for 55 years they have been protecting animals from needless suffering. From the frontlines of disaster zones to the boardrooms of large corporations, they are fighting to create better lives for all animals. www.worldanimalprotection.or.ke

31 July 2020

The Honourable Mr Justice Koen has dismissed the Ukutula application against BLOOD LIONS, and instructed Ukutula to pay BLOOD LIONS’s legal costs.

On 20 September 2019, Jacobs Safaris CC trading as Ukutula Lodge (“Ukutula”) launched an application for injunctive relief against, inter alia, the producer of the documentary feature film, ‘BLOOD LIONS’. 

Ukutula submitted that it was defamed because, given the central message of BLOOD LIONS that lions are bred in captivity, with the subscript ‘Bred for the bullet’, Ukutula was included in the documentary feature film because the producer wanted to tell the public, absent supporting evidence, not to visit Ukutula, because in doing so they are fuelling the trade in lions ‘for the bullet’.

Accordingly, Ukutula sought to, inter alia, have all depictions, references and images of Ukutula removed from the documentary feature film and that the producer provide Ukutula with a formal written statement confirming that there is no evidence that Ukutula is involved or associated with the canned lion hunting trade and/or the lion bone trade and/or the breeding of lions for the canned hunting trade and/or lion bone trade and/or the raising of cubs for the canned lion hunting trade and/or the lion bone trade together with a formal written apology for the alleged false depiction of Ukutula as being involved with those activities.

BLOOD LION’S legal team of Advocate AJ Dickson SC and Peter Whelan, Alan Wright and Michaela Kritzinger of Bowmans raised non-joinder and prescription points. It was also argued on behalf of BLOOD LIONS that any reference to Ukutula was not defamatory and that it had failed to make out a case for injunctive relief.

Ukutula conceded that the documentary feature film does not contain any express statement that Ukutula is involved in the canned hunting trade or lion bone trade. The issue, as accepted by Ukutula, was whether the documentary necessarily implied that Ukutula is involved in the canned lion hunting and the lion bone trade.

The application was heard in the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Division, Pietermaritzburg by the Honourable Mr Justice Koen on Friday, 19 June 2020.  

On 30 July 2020, Koen J handed down judgment dismissing the application in its entirety together with costs. In handing down the judgment Koen J commented that he had viewed the footage.

Koen J held that the documentary is not defamatory of Ukutula. He went on further to state that “[b]ut even if I was wrong in that regard, I am not persuaded that any such defamation would be wrongful. What was shown in the film would be justified by the defences of media privilege and fair comment.”

The Blood Lions team welcome this outcome, and will continue their efforts to raise global awareness and to bring an end to the practices associated with captive lion breeding and canned hunting in South Africa, as well as the export of lion body parts and products to Asia for the medicine market.

We would like to thank our lawyers at Bowman Gilfillan, Advocate AJ Dickson SC, our supporters and partners, and the millions of concerned citizens around the world who are united in their determination to bring an end to these practices.

—— ENDS ——

More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa.
• Blood Lions website: www.bloodlions.org

29 July 2020

In support of World Tiger Day (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.

“Almost every part of the tiger has a value in the marketplace. The skin is used in home décor, bones are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat rheumatism or arthritis and to make tiger bone wine. Bones are also used to make bracelets, tiger teeth and claws to make expensive jewellery set in silver and gold with gems, and their meat is consumed as a delicacy”, says Banks.

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that allows the intensive captive breeding and keeping of lions and other big cats for commercial purposes. In more than 350 facilities big cats, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, caracals, servals, and many exotic species, such as tigers, jaguars, pumas, and even ligers (a crossbreed between lions and tigers), are bred and kept in mostly substandard conditions.

“We believe that there are now an estimated 60 breeding facilities in South Africa holding 1,000-1,500 tigers – an endangered predator that receives no protection under South Africa’s conservation legislation”, says Dr Louise de Waal (Campaign Manager – Blood Lions).

“Many of these tigers are, like their African cousins, slaughtered for their body parts, (illegally) exported often in consignments labelled as lion bones, or sold legally through CITES as live animals to South East Asia with no clear insight in their final destination or fate.”

Blood Lions is calling on the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, to set a zero CITES export quota for lion body parts and to destroy all bone stockpiles, to ensure among others the conservation of the last remaining wild tigers. “We can’t turn a blind eye to the damage South Africa’s legal lion bone trade inflicts on the conservation efforts of the last remaining tigers in the wild”, says de Waal.

Watch this short film for more information:

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More information:

• Contact: Dr Louise de Waal
• Email: management@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa.
• Blood Lions website: www.bloodlions.org

06 July 2020

Over 622 youth from around the world have signed a letter calling on the South African Government to phase out captive predator breeding in South Africa.

To commemorate Youth Day in South Africa (16 June 2020), leading conservation organisation Blood Lions and Youth For Lions sent a letter to various Ministers of the South African Government urging them to set a zero CITES lion bone export quota in support for the global call to ban live wildlife markets, as well as the use of wildlife products for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The letter, which was sent on Friday 3^rd July, attracted signatures from 622 people from across the globe, including 317 concerned South African citizens.

“We have been completely blown away by the support for this initiative. It still amazes me that the South African Government can allow the inhumane captive breeding of lions to continue despite so many people, both locally and internationally, opposing the industry. The letter outlines several valid reasons for concern and I just hope that, given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the relevant Government Departments can collaborate as one to restore South Africa’s coveted conservation and tourism reputation.”
Cath Jakins, Blood Lions Campaign Coordinator

Some of the specific recommendations made in the letter include:

• An immediate end to commercial activities involving direct interaction between people and lions and their derivatives, including cub petting and other hands-on tourism and volunteer related encounters, captive or “canned” trophy hunting, and the preparation and export of lion bones and skeletons;
• A commitment from DEFF and DALRRD to phase out breeding practices on commercial farms to ensure that the current lions are the last generation bred in captivity;
• The implementation of a zero CITES annual export quota for lion skeletons, parts and derivatives in conjunction with the destruction of pre-existing stockpiles of lion bones, to reduce the demand for commercial captive predator breeding operations.

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that allows the intensive captive breeding and keeping of lions and other big cats for commercial purposes. In more than 350 facilities big cats, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, caracals, servals, and many exotic species, such as tigers, jaguars, pumas, and even ligers (a crossbreed between lions and tigers), are bred and kept in mostly substandard conditions.

Decisions related to the breeding and keeping of big cats in captivity in South Africa not only fall under the auspices of the Departments of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) and Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), but also impact on the Departments of Tourism and Health. Exploitation of the majority of big cats bred in captivity starts in the tourism industry, where local and international visitors and young volunteers pay to cuddle, bottle-feed and walk with big cats, such as lions, tigers and cheetahs, which are later killed for their trophies in captive hunts.

Studies have shown that the risk of disease transmission is prevalent across all aspects of the wildlife trade, in particular when wildlife and people are in close proximity. Given the potential consequences for human and animal health, it is critical to closely examine the potential role of the captive breeding industry in zoonotic disease transmission and outbreak. The intensive breeding of predators in captivity inevitably results in large numbers of animals, sometimes even different species, held in overcrowded conditions in close proximity, causing immense stress and weakened immune systems. These stressful conditions under which animals are typically farmed, transported and even slaughtered exacerbate the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

Given the compromised welfare conditions of captive lions and other big cats, the scale of trade in lions and their body parts, and their susceptibility to carrying a wide range of pathogens, as well as the close proximity between animals/farm workers and animals/paying tourist, it is likely that carnivores could play a central role in the emergence and transmission of disease to people.

Blood Lions and its supporters are calling on the Departments addressed in the letter to collaborate on an interdepartmental level to work towards phasing out the captive breeding of lions and other big cats.

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More information:

• Contact: Cath Jakins
• Email: info@bloodlions.org
• Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and campaign that blows the lid off claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa.
• Blood Lions website: www.bloodlions.org

Written by Louzel Lombard Steyn

“Something has gone terribly wrong in a country which I love. I am determined that it must be put right.”
Lord Michael Ashcroft’s latest book, Unfair Game, exposes the worst of South Africa’s macabre captive-breeding lion industry as a high-profile investigation implicates top-tier South African authorities, popular tourist hotspots and border-crossing criminals smuggling lion cubs.

South Africa’s captive-bred lion industry will go down in history as one of the most shameful wildlife disasters ever created by humans on earth. While it continues to spiral into an increasingly corrupt trade, it drags down with it our country’s credibility as a reputable wildlife tourism destination.

A new book, Unfair Game: An exposé of South Africa’s captive-bred lion industry by wildlife philanthropist Lord Michael Ashcroft was released this week, documenting an undercover operation by ex-British Army and security services personnel. The team recruited a South African dealer as a double agent and planted tracking devices in lion skulls destined to be sold to Asia.

Eight months later, their findings confirm many rumoured horrors of South Africa’s lion industry; the alleged deboning of live lions in Asia to obtain sought-after ‘pink bone’ caused by blood left in the bone, how wild lion cubs are being caught in Botswana and smuggled into South Africa for petting and to boost gene pools, and how illegal wildlife trade is conducted openly at a public market in Johannesburg, where lion skulls and skins are sold alongside skins from endangered pangolins.

It also details smuggling of captive lion and tiger skins. In one case, a Russian client took a rolled-up ‘wet’, or untreated, tiger skin out of SA in his suitcase. Another details plans to smuggle a skin to America via the UK by hiding it inside the skin of a deer.

Rotting at the core

The book also highlights a concerning lack of interest by our own police force to pursue such illegalities. It describes how Lord Ashcroft’s team meets up with South African Police Service (SAPS) commanders in charge of the wildlife unit in Pretoria, to present incriminating evidence uncovered during the extensive investigation. Instead of acting on the information, or even looking at the document, the SAPS officials rejected the evidence and threatened the whistle-blowers with imprisonment.

According to Blood Lions director Ian Michler, the investigation blows a hole in what our Department of Environment, Forestry & Fisheries (DEFF) claims to be a ‘well-regulated’ and ‘enforced’ industry.

“The evidence strongly suggests that South African authorities are enabling this incredibly dangerous trade. Global and local opposition to it is widespread. It comes from the conservation and scientific community, our tourism industry and many hunting organizations around the world and still we have not seen a single act of legislation to curb or end these activities.”

DEFF’s insistence that “there are presently no major threats to our wild lion population” is also disputed as Unfair Game describes in detail how the undercover investigators joined poachers planning to kill wild lions in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The wild lions were to be poisoned or shot in the stomach to ensure their bones remained undamaged.

Wild cubs, too, are kidnapped during such poaching excursions, the team learned, to be smuggled to SA for petting and to boost the gene pools of SA’s captive breeders.

The poaching excursion described in the book proves that Africa’s dwindling wild lion populations are, in fact, threatened by the industry despite the oft-repeated arguments by sustainable utilisation proponents that commercial captive breeding is beneficial to wild populations.

Detailed questions regarding these findings were ignored by DEFF. Instead, a generic response stated that no comments can be made on any issues relating to SA’s lions until the newly-formed (and highly controversial) High-Level Panel has formulated their strategy.

Bloodsport Tourism 

Tourists and international volunteers are unwittingly duped into the exploitation via seemingly harmless activities such as cub petting and lion walks. A video published alongside Unfair Game reveals how South African tourist facilities, like Moreson Ranch and Akwaaba Lodge & Predator Park, offer ‘family-friendly’ big cat encounters in the foreground while engaging in suspicious ‘canned’ activities behind-the-scenes.

A home video shot at Moreson Ranch, where cub petting is a major attraction, shows the owners killing a lioness in a small enclosure. The animal is shot in the shoulder and stomach more than 10 times in a seven-minute period as she dies a slow death. The body shots were reportedly deliberate, as not to damage the skull of the lion, enabling this to be sold for more money.

Moreson Ranch declined to comment on the footage.

At Akwaaba Lodge & Predator Park, again, undercover footage shows how a tiger is sold in an underhanded deal, before being tranquilised and loaded onto a pick-up truck. Akwaaba’s owner Nazeer Cajee confirmed the deal but denies killing the animal. “When the tiger left my property, she was still breathing. What happened after they left, I have no idea,” he says.

Unfair Game details how the animal later died of an overdose of tranquilisers and was skinned and processed in a makeshift home abattoir, the bones destined for the Asian tiger bone market.

Cajee’s indifference to the tigress’s fate contradicts the mantra of his supposed family-friendly farm, where “animals are all treated with love and affection”.

In South Africa, zero regulations exist to govern the captive tiger industry. These exotic Asian species are essentially ‘farmed’ in SA are at the mercy of owners and can be bred, hybridised, killed, skinned and cooked ad-lib.

Tourists who have visited these facilities have unknowingly contributed to the systemised cruelty.

SA Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona made his position clear; “We promote an authentic and credible tourism experience to all our tourists, and this includes an authentic wildlife experience to keep it as “wild” and natural as possible,” he stated back in 2016. “We do not promote or endorse any interaction with wild animals such as the petting of wild cats and walking with lions.”

Yet, it continues. The horrors, escalating.  

“We now have one of our biggest tourism markets stepping up to air the horrors of predator breeding, “canned” hunting and cub petting to their public and government,” Michler says. “It’s not the best way to be marketing ourselves and certainly damages our claims as being an ethical and responsible destination offering authentic tourism experiences.”

Travellers from the United Kingdom make up SA’s second-largest tourist market, accounting for over 13% of total annual visitors. These dedicated travellers are seeing an increasingly grim picture of SA’s once idealised wildlife tourism offering.

Moreover, the industry is another global health crisis waiting to happen, as it is based solely on close human interaction with and consumption of wildlife. 

Alas, the purpose of the captive breeding industry is just that; to reduce Africa’s greatest predator to the sum of its most lucrative parts. It is a fate for which these animals continue to suffer unimaginably gruesome deaths, their lives a mere by-product of their parts; trophy head, skin, bones, teeth and claws.

• Unfair Game: An exposé of South Africa’s captive-bred lion industry by Lord Michael Ashcroft. The paper version of the book was released in the UK on Tuesday 16 June 2020 and will be available in South African bookshops around the 16 July 2020. The e-book is however available online. Proceeds from the book will be donated to wildlife charities in South Africa.

This article was published online by:

• SA People News:
  https://www.sapeople.com/2020/06/18/unfair-game-sas-captive-breeding-shame-aired-in-harrowing-uk-expose/