The vast majority (91.1%) of big cat species exported live from South Africa between 2010 and 2020 were bought by zoos, commercial ventures and captive breeding facilities.
The purpose code T (commercial) is an extremely broad and problematic term, as it often means that the animal is bought by a professional dealer based internationally, who will sell the animal on to the highest bidder.
Follow on over the next few weeks as we unpack what the statistics are telling us about South Africa’s live wildlife trade.