How can we tell if a captive facility is one that we should support or avoid? With so many predator parks calling themselves sanctuaries or claiming to rescue their animals, how can we be certain that the facility is ethical or not?
South Africa has close to 400 captive predator parks, most of which are purely commercial, or at a minimum designed to earn a profit from their animals. This has resulted in an rampant industry that keeps approximately 8,000 lions, 600+ tigers, 500 cheetahs, 300 leopards, and 1,000s of other predators all in captivity.
To help you better understand what unethical and profit-driven predator parks look like, read on to learn more about the captive Red Flags.
The first Red Flags all relate to BREEDING, INTERACTING WITH and KEEPING CUBS. If a predator park has a near constant presence of cubs and other baby predators, it means the facility is breeding with its animals (which a true sanctuary would never do) or they are buying or renting cubs from other breeding facilities.
All of this requires young cubs, as young as only a few days, to be removed from their mothers so they can be bottle fed and handled by paying tourists. This causes enormous distress for the cubs and mother and poses serious health issues for both.
Facilities may tell you that the animals are bred for conservation purposes and ultimately will be released back into the wild. Conservationists and scientists all agree that breeding predators in captivity for tourist attractions is not genuine conservation. Breeding lions in captivity for conservation purposes is not necessary in South Africa as we do not have enough wild habitat for a growing wild lion population.
Very often, tourists are told that the cubs have been orphaned or rejected by their mothers as an excuse to purposely separate them. The reality is much crueler: young cubs generate a steady income stream for the owner and it forces the mother back into oestrus so that she is ready to have more babies.
Captive-bred predators are poorly equipped for a wild existence. For example, they have never learnt to hunt, socialise with their own species, or interact with other wild predators. Unfortunately in South Africa we do not even have enough safe wild space for our population of wild lions, so breeding lions under the guise of conservation is highly misleading. Those animals are ultimately all used for some commercial activity.
Any TRADE (buying, selling or even exchanging) predators is a major Red Flag as it means they are contributing to the cycle of exploitation from cub petting through to captivity and the canned hunting and trade in bones and other body parts. These animals are commoditised at every point in their lives from birth through to death.
Predators are also sold in the live trade to zoos and breeders overseas. This ensures a life in captivity, often in extremely poor welfare conditions and used for tourist interactions. If a facility cannot give their predators a high quality of care for life or if they are sold off to other predator parks and zoos, then these animals are likely to end up in breeding facilities, canned hunts, the bone trade, or passed around captive facilities for the rest of their lives.
There are some heated debates about the value of captive wildlife facilities and zoos. Many are firmly situated in the belief that animals in small enclosures and cages do not educate visitors or serve an important conservation purpose. There are others, however, who argue that seeing animals in captivity educates visitors and encourages them to care. I personally can’t help but wonder what the public is learning when they witness an animal standing against a fence or sleeping in an unnaturally small space. Even more importantly, does this type of education result in pro-conservation behaviour?
I want you to consider for a moment the last time you may have viewed an animal in a cage or enclosure. What was the animal doing? What was it eating? Was the animal alone or in a natural social group? How much space was provided for them to roam? Did the enclosure provide any enrichment for the animal? The reality in many captive facilities is that the animals were likely to be pacing or lying down. They may be fed a diet comprising unnatural supplements to mimic the nutrients they would normally receive in the wild. Their natural social groupings have been artificially created, while some may be entirely alone.
With the latest scientific findings in the IPBES report (2019), we know with certainty that we need to protect biodiversity now more than ever. Education is therefore an important start to understanding how and why conservation of the natural world and its wildlife is so vital. However, we need to question the real value of a captive facility or zoo, where the animals remain in cages and enclosures much smaller than their natural habitats. We also need to question if these facilities live up to their promise of educating visitors about the importance of wildlife and conservation.
In South Africa, several zoos have faced serious welfare criticisms. Two years ago, the Johannesburg Zoo faced an outcry for keeping a lone elephant despite knowing that elephants depend heavily on herd structures in the wild (HSI, 2019). The Pretoria Zoo has been similarly criticized for its treatment towards a lone elephant despite calls to have him relocated to a suitable sanctuary (The Daily Maverick, 2021). In both cases, rather than acting on the animals’ welfare and wellbeing, decisions revolved around keeping more elephants in small enclosures, unlike the vast plains they would naturally roam, to attract paying visitors. The Bloemfontein Zoo was eventually closed due to a serious lack of funds resulting in animals living in substandard conditions with little food or veterinary care (The Citizen, 2020).
Written by Cath Jakins Published on 28 October, 2019
Humans have been domesticating and farming animals for decades, millennia even.
However, people all around the world are becoming so much more aware of the ethical and welfare-related issues involved in captive breeding and animal husbandry. Recently, there has been “a move globally to say ‘ok, intensive farming may not be the way to go, people want free range animals’. And yet, on the wildlife side, we are reverting back to intensive breeding under the worst conditions,” says Karen Trendler, Wildlife Trade & Trafficking Portfolio Director at the NSPCA. According to Trendler, “conservation of wildlife is best done by preserving wild animals in their natural habitat.”
https://youtu.be/GslFQ42Z8LA
In South Africa, the Animal Improvement Act (AIA) was passed in 1998 to allow for the “utilisation of genetically superior animals to improve the production and performance of animals in the interest of the country”. In short, the AIA is an agricultural policy that governs livestock breeding and has (until recently) pertained to traditionally ‘farmed animals’ such as cattle, goats, horses, sheep, pigs and other domesticated animals:
On 17 May 2019, an Amendment to the Animal Improvement Act, 62 of 1998, was issued by the then Department Of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In this amendment, lion, cheetah, rhino and giraffe have been added to the list of ‘farmable animals’, along with almost 30 other wild animal species.
But what does this mean, and why is it important?
Earlier this year, the NSPCA revealed horrific footage from a captive breeding facility in the North West Province where hundreds of lions and other animals were being kept in various stages of disease and neglect. It is highly likely that those lions were being kept in captivity for the lion bone trade to South-East Asia, which supplements the tiger bone trade for traditional medicine. Due to the fact that these lions are being bred merely for their bones, their welfare falls by the wayside.
Multiple animals were confiscated for treatment, butmany had to be euthanaseddue to the severity of their suffering.
By adding wild species to the AIA, is the South African Government now promoting intensive, captive breeding of these animals for commercial purposes? For species such as lion and rhino, it would seem that this Amendment will play right into the hands of unscrupulous wildlife breeders, many of whom are involved in the controversial breeding of lion for the bone trade, and rhino for the horn trade. According to Dr Ross Harvey, the inclusion of these animals in the AIA is worrying as the Act does not govern how they should be slaughtered, or what kinds of health considerations need to be observed.
Domesticated animals such as cattle and horses were selected based on specific characteristics and their full domestication took place over many hundreds of years. Predators and other wild species, on the other hand, are not and have never been domesticated successfully as they retain certain inherent wild characteristics that make them a danger to humans.
“The ongoing domestication of our wildlife is very concerning. It has no conservation benefit and in many cases, is damaging to our biodiversity,” says Dr Kelly Marnewick, a lecturer in the Department of Nature Conservation at the Tshwane University of Technology.
It is my opinion that there are very few genuine “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences left in this world. With technology advancing so rapidly, life is becoming progressively more connected and less authentic. Two weekends ago, however, I had the opportunity to experience something rarely experienced by members of the public: endangered species monitoring in the wild.
At the YouthForLions LIVE WILD Workshop, which took place in March of this year, a group of 8 high school and university students from KwaZulu-Natal won themselves a 2-day trip to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s iconic Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to track and monitor wild lions with Wildlife ACT, a leading conservation and wildlife monitoring NGO. My YouthForLions colleagues and I were lucky enough to join in on the experience as chaperones for the students.
Upon arrival at the Nyalazi Gate on the Friday afternoon, the excitement amongst the students was palpable. We met up with four of Wildlife ACT’s Ambassadors who are part of their Community Conservation Programme and, accompanied by Zama Ncube from Wildlife ACT, made our way through the iMfolozi Game Reserve to the newly rebuilt Sontuli Education Centre where we would be staying for the weekend.
We arrived at camp just before sundown and spent the evening settling in to our dormitories. We were joined by two of the Wildlife ACT priority species monitors for an informative talk about the telemetry equipment used to track and monitor endangered species in the wild. It was early to bed that first night as we were told to be up and ready by 5am the following morning so that we could join up with the Wildlife ACT monitoring team for the morning.
Getting up at 4am in the pitch dark was certainly a new experience for many of us but after a quick breakfast, we bundled into a game drive vehicle which was kindly given to us for the weekend by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and set off into the dark bushveld. We met up with Fiona, the Wildlife ACT priority species monitor for iMfolozi, and her team of volunteers, who told us that they were on the trail of a naturally formed wild dog pack in the area. The anticipation bristled amongst our group as we followed closely behind the Wildlife ACT vehicle, stopping occasionally to pick up on the moving signal of the wild dog’s collar. After about 15 minutes of following and recording the signal, Fiona told us the disappointing news that, although we were less than a minute behind the dogs, we had lost them as they had crossed the nearby river.
We continued on in search of lion as the sun rose steadily over the Zululand bushveld. As we moved to a different section of the reserve and stopped to pick up the signal of the lion pride that resided in that area, we heard the welcome beeping of the telemetry equipment and got an excited ‘thumbs up’ from one of the Wildlife ACT volunteers – we had a bearing on the lions!
We moved off right away in the direction that the signal was coming from so that we could get an accurate triangulation. Wildlife ACT uses advanced GPS and VHF tracking collars to track and monitor endangered wildlife species including wild dog, lion, cheetah and rhino. The lion pride that we were tracking had an individual which was fitted with a VHF transmitter, also known as a pulse collar. This collar emits a pulsed radio signal (beeps) which allows the Wildlife ACT monitoring team to physically locate and observe the animal by homing in on the signal using a receiver and a directional antenna. The equipment, however, only gives a bearing of the animals’ whereabouts, not an actual physical location, so it can’t say “the lions are in this exact clearing” or “the wild dogs are under that specific bush”.
After following the signal beeps from the lion’s collar for some time, we came to a viewpoint overlooking a section of the river. Fiona told us to keep our eyes peeled across the river for any tawny movements. We knew the direction the lions were in and the approximate distance that they were from us. We all searched the opposite riverbank through our binoculars for what felt like ages, but sadly we could not get a visual on them in the dense bush. That is the way it works in the bush though; sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you drive around for hours with not much luck at all. That evening, however, we struck it lucky on our way back to camp after our second drive of the day.
We set out for our afternoon/evening drive at about 4pm after a delicious lunch and well-deserved afternoon naps. The temperature dropped steadily along with the sun until we were all bundled up in jackets and scarves on the back of the game viewer. The late-June winter wind that hits you on the backs of those game viewers is no laughing matter, but our spirits were high as we looked forward to seeing some of the nocturnal animals emerging as the sun set. The sunset was just magnificent and we all sat in complete awe as we watched it dip behind the trees.
As we meandered along the river on our way back to camp with the spotlights shining through the dense bush, there was much giggling and laughter as the scrub hares bounded and zigzagged across the road in the vehicle’s headlights. One of our group noticed strange looking droppings dotted all across the road ahead of us. “It looks like buffalo dung”, I said. The next thing we knew, we had rounded a corner and were completely surrounded by a massive breeding herd of buffalo. Mumbles of “it’s ok, stay calm” were drowned out by exclamations of “check that one’s horns” and “aw look at the baby!” Although I have visited many game reserves throughout my life, I have never been surrounded by such a huge herd of buffalo like that before.
That evening after dinner, we sat around the campfire telling stories, roasting marshmallows and discussing the work that Blood Lions ‘YouthForLions’ and Wildlife ACT do to conserve endangered species. We chatted with the youth about how valuable populations of wild lion really are and discussed different ways to improve the YouthForLions awareness reach. The students asked a few very interesting questions and some pertinent points were raised. Mark Gerrard and Zama Ncube of Wildlife ACT explained some of the finer details involved in wildlife conservation in South Africa and we had the opportunity to interact with the Wildlife ACT community ambassadors who have all grown up in rural areas surrounding protected areas.
That night, many of us were woken up by the rumbling sound of lions roaring very close to our camp. Excited whispers scattered through the dormitories as we heard the lions moving across the river and closer to our fence line. Janelle Barnard, YouthForLions Digital Marketing Manager was woken up by the unfamiliar sound at about 3am. “Once I came to my senses, I realised that it was lions roaring! The lions were so close that I could hear them crunching through the grass. Everyone woke up startled as the roars filled our room. It’s quite a comforting, yet daunting sound to hear in the bush because it reminds you that you are a guest in their space,” says Janelle.
On our way out of the reserve the following morning, as the usual ‘home-time’ holiday sadness began to creep up on us, our last sighting was a massive elephant bull ambling along the opposite hillside. We sat with him for a while, savouring the last few moments we had before heading back to the city. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic weekend in the African bushveld.
I believe that educating adolescents and youth is fundamental in changing attitudes and behaviours in any conservation effort. Education not only provides knowledge but also creates a sense of empathy and understanding on a much deeper level. It can also promote activism and justice, particularly in young people who are finding their voices and are so willing to act in ways which may often defy social norms (we often think of these young people as being rebellious; but I like to see them as challenging oppressive existing norms). This is becoming especially true of the captive breeding and hunting industry, which has for many years been covered in a cloak of conservation and good will. Yet, emerging evidence continues to expose an industry characterised by greed, neglect and cruelty.
I must be honest, when I first decided to approach this topic with the students I teach, I was hesitant. I felt they were too young to comprehend the inherent cruelty and I wanted to avoid shattering the commonly held beliefs about something seemingly innocent. And yet the opposite occurred. Whilst the Blood Lions® documentary remains an immense shock to watch, the students took it on with maturity, moving almost immediately towards action with questions like “what can be done to stop it? Why is this allowed in the first place? Surely this is illegal?” These were the hardest questions to answer because such cruelty seems so far-fetched to many of us. The hard-hitting visual elements of the Blood Lions® documentary and its ongoing campaigns illustrate something else I strongly believe in – that video and photography is a powerful means of conveying information and emotion in ways that move people towards change and action.
When it comes to what can be done, I encouraged individual actions – we all have a voice and should not feel that alone we do not have an impact. Being educated also allows students to educate others, like their own friends and family. In fact, I have since heard stories of students who have turned down invitations to lion parks and will speak up in class when cub petting is mentioned by fellow classmates. This is one of the most promising signs that we can make progress through education! My experience has been that the impact is lasting, with the latest conversation occurring a year after watching the documentary. How incredible to know that we can have a long-term impact on attitudes and behaviour!
Teaching students to think critically is also a vital component of educating them about conservation issues. Providing evidence and solid facts is so necessary in a time when false information abounds and can be shared at the click of a button. Such skills ensure that students are able to think about situations from a variety of perspectives: local, international, economical, and ethical. Through open-minded discussions about welfare, ethical travel and conservation, I sincerely hope to encourage students to be curious and willing to learn, and even more so to empower them to be responsible and ethical citizens who choose to use their voices and challenge deeply unethical activities.
Written by Cath Jakins Published 10 December, 2018
Welcome to the new YouthForLions Blog, and welcome to our very first blog post. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Cath, the new Blood Lions ‘YouthForLions’ Coordinator. My role at ‘YouthForLions’ is to raise awareness and educate the youth of South Africa (and the world) about the captive breeding of lions in South Africa and the importance of not interacting with these majestic animals.
When I joined the Blood Lions team in June, I was a little bit nervous about speaking in front a big group of people. But less than a month into my new job, my first presentation was a 15 minute talk to a hall of over 400 school children and their teachers. And it was fantastic!
One of my favourite parts of these presentations is when I ask who has touched a lion or another wild animal. Seeing majority of the hands in the room (including mine) go up will always take my breath away. The sheer number of people, both young and old, who have been duped by the con that is cub petting, is shocking.
I usually follow on from this with a video clip about why we shouldn’t be petting lion cubs. During the clip I like to look around the room to gauge the audience’s reactions. Some look sad, some seem indifferent but almost always, most are shocked. Interacting with wild animals is a popular holiday activity around the world. From elephant back rides in India to lion cub petting in South Africa, wildlife interactions are what many people crave when going on holiday. What majority of holiday makers don’t realise though is the massive negative impact they are having on the lives of these animals.
Generally, lion cubs that are born in captivity are taken away from their mothers when they are between 3 and 10 days old. The reason for this is so that the mothers go straight back into oestrus when their cubs are removed from them. This practice is done to ensure that they will breed again immediately. In captivity, lionesses often breed up to four or five times faster than they would in the wild.
Cubs that are hand raised, bottle fed and used for cub petting attractions grow up to be used in lion walking attractions. These sub-adult lions are trained, pretty much the same way that circus animals are trained, to climb trees and pose on rocks for “selfies”.
Once fully grown, these now tame lions are often sold to captive hunting establishments where they are added to a catalogue, and given a price to be shot and killed by “canned” or captive lion hunters from around the world. Because they have been so used to people feeding and handling them, they are not afraid of humans and seldom run away or try to defend themselves. This is just one of the ways in which hand reared and bottle fed lion cubs end up. Others are kept in their small enclosures and killed so that their bones can be exported to South East Asia to supplement the tiger bone trade.
