Since its recent launch, the WildChoices initiative (an assessment based on the SATSA guidelines and publicly available information) has achieved some positive change with several facilities making permanent improvements to aid the welfare and wellbeing of their captive wildlife. These facilities have made necessary changes to their business models so that they no longer fall into the AVOID category.

It is our hope that SATSA can now find a way to move the proverbial line in the sand forward to make the decision-making tool even more stringent, ethical and wildlife conscious.

You can play your part and help improve the WildChoices website by providing evidence to show that a facility may have been categorised incorrectly. To report evidence on a facility, please post a message to WildChoices through their contact page: https://www.wildchoices.org/contact

If you’re considering visiting a captive wildlife facility anywhere in South Africa, be sure to do your homework and look them up on www.wildchoices.org.

#ThinkBeforeYouGo

According to the assessment by WildChoices, the Northern Cape paints a very different picture compared to all other provinces with ONLY ONE captive wildlife tourism facility – a wildlife rehabilitation centre that falls in the SUPPORT category.

This shows that stricter nature conservation regulations can work as, for example, the Northern Cape does NOT allow the captive breeding, keeping or hunting of lions in the province. Permits are only issued for wild, self-sustaining and free-range lions.

If you’re considering visiting a captive wildlife facility anywhere in South Africa, be sure to do your homework and look them up on www.wildchoices.org.

#ThinkBeforeYouGo

Of the 219+ facilities that keep wildlife in captivity for tourism purposes assessed by WildChoices, the Limpopo province holds third place with a total of 36 facilities, including 24 that hold big cats.

Of these facilities:

• 27 you should AVOID, including 20 facilities with big cats;
• 5 you should Support with CAUTION, including 2 facilities with big cats;
• 4 can get your SUPPORT (according to the SATSA guidelines), including 2 facilities with big cats.

As with the Free State province, most of the captive wildlife tourism facilities in Limpopo should be avoided with only 11% falling in the SUPPORT category.

If you’re considering visiting a captive wildlife facility anywhere in South Africa, be sure to do your homework and look them up on www.wildchoices.org.

In South Africa, of the 219+ facilities that keep wildlife in captivity for tourism purposes assessed by WildChoices, 20% (+/- 45 facilities) are located in the Free State province – ALL of which keep big cats.

Of these facilities in the Western Cape:

• 37 you should AVOID;
• 4 you should Support with CAUTION;
• 4 you can SUPPORT (according to the SATSA guidelines).

The Free State sits second place, after the Western Cape, in terms of highest number of captive wildlife tourism facilities, but tops the chart with the highest number of facilities to AVOID.

If you’re considering visiting a captive wildlife facility anywhere in South Africa, be sure to do your homework and look them up on www.wildchoices.org.

According to the WildChoices assessment of 219+ facilities that keep wildlife in captivity for tourism purposes, nearly one quarter (52 facilities) are located in the Western Cape.

Of these facilities in the Western Cape:

• 24 you should AVOID, including 5 facilities with big cats;
• 13 you should Support with CAUTION, including 3 facilities with big cats;
• 15 you can SUPPORT (according to the SATSA guidelines), including 5 facilities with big cats.

Out of the nine South African provinces, the Western Cape has the most captive wildlife tourism facilities, but also the highest number of facilities that fall into the SUPPORT category.

If you’re considering visiting a captive wildlife facility anywhere in South Africa, be sure to do your homework and look them up on www.wildchoices.org.

You can play your part and help improve the WildChoices website by providing evidence to show that a facility may have been categorised incorrectly.

The WildChoices team was only able to work with publicly available information, so further insight into activities at specific facilities would be a great help. However, substantiated information and evidence is important, so hearsay and rumours cannot be accepted as proof.

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a closeTo report evidence on a facility, please post a message to WildChoices through their contact page: https://www.wildchoices.org/contact

According to the newly launched WildChoices website, over half of the 219+ captive wildlife tourism facilities in South Africa (as identified by the website) should be AVOIDED, as they are deemed unethical through application of the SATSA Guidelines and Decision-Making Tool.

The provinces with the most captive wildlife tourism facilities are the Western Cape, Free State and Limpopo – together accounting for 60% of ALL facilities in South Africa.

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at each province’s results.

Browse the website: www.wildchoices.org to learn more about the Assessment Results.

The online tool by WildChoices, which applies the SATSA Guidelines, has identified 219+ captive wildlife tourism facilities in South Africa. This includes approximately 130 that have lions and/or other big cats in captivity.

Of the 219+ facilities, 64% fall into the AVOID category. If this is narrowed to the assessment of the 130 captive big cat facilities, 76% fall into AVOID.

We don’t need captive wildlife tourism facilities in a country that offers so many national parks and reserves, where people can experience a wide range of wildlife in their natural habitat. #KeepItWild

Browse the website: www.wildchoices.org to learn more about the Assessment Results.

WildChoices launches a website to assist the tourism industry and visitors alike to make more informed and ethical choices about captive wildlife tourism facilities in South Africa.

WildChoices applied the SATSA Captive Wildlife Attractions & Activities Guidelines and Decision Tool to assess 219 captive wildlife tourism facilities in South Africa, based on publicly available information. Application of SATSA’s 6-step decision tree creates one of three outcomes: Support, Support with Caution and Avoid.

The Blood Lions team is excited to see the SATSA guidelines applied and translated into a user-friendly online tool, and we commend the WildChoices team on their efforts.

“The SATSA tool is a great starting point to separate the good from the bad and the ugly. However, a lot has happened since the launch of the SATSA guidelines in 2019, including the publication of the HLP report and Minister Creecy’s intent to close the captive lion industry. Hence, the proverbial line in the sand now needs to be moved, as was always SATSA’s intention, and this work by WildChoices can assist in the process going forward.”