If South Africa Ends Lion Breeding, What to Do With Captive Cats?

On June 23 safety guards at Johannesburg’s worldwide airport stopped a 34-year-old man en path to Vietnam. Suspicious of his baggage, they opened his suitcases and located them crammed with bones — some wrapped in yellow tape, others unwrapped and lined in dried blood and traces of flesh. With the assistance of specialists, officers recognized the bones as these of no less than 5 lions. The traveler was arrested and charged with illegally dealing in wildlife, possession of lion bones, and contravening different South African conservation legal guidelines.

The bones virtually actually got here from lions that had been bred in cages or in small enclosures on a personal ranch, proof that South Africa’s giant and controversial captive-lion breeding {industry} continues to be working regardless of a more-than-two-year-old authorities dedication to close it down. The highest-level resolution, taken by the nationwide Cupboard of Ministers, was a much-publicized triumph for animal welfare, moral tourism, and conservation teams, and it got here solely after years of public stress and quite a few investigations into lion breeders’ animal welfare abuses and fraud.

However ending captive lion breeding is proving way more simply stated than completed. South Africa faces a “conundrum,” stated Kamalasen Chetty — the chief of a activity workforce mandated by the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Surroundings to close the {industry} down — as a result of there’s no clear technique of coping with the 6,000 to eight,000 captive lions that reside on non-public ranches in the present day. In the meantime, lion homeowners proceed to breed extra cubs, saying they’ll battle to maintain their companies alive.

If South Africa Ends Lion Breeding, What to Do With Captive Cats?

Youngsters with captive-bred lion cubs at a lion tourism ranch.
Ian Michler / Blood Lions

The Nineteen Nineties noticed speedy development within the South African non-public wildlife {industry}, when giant numbers of cattle, sheep, and goat ranchers changed their home inventory with wild animals, which rich hunters would pay to shoot. Many hunters had been after lions, and to fulfill rising demand, some ranchers started breeding giant numbers of the massive cats in cages or small enclosures. Quickly, tons of of ranchers had been concerned within the enterprise, some with tons of of lions. Their shoppers paid between $25,000 and $40,000 to shoot a captive-bred cat — considerably lower than a real wild lion hunt and extra time-efficient, too, as a result of the animals often had no concern of people and had been simple to search out.

Many ranches additionally started internet hosting overseas volunteers, who paid handsomely to hand-raise lion cubs, and charged vacationers to carry and be photographed with younger animals. Some used adolescent lions for “strolling with lions” excursions round their properties; when the animals grew to become too giant and harmful, they had been offered to be shot by trophy hunters.

Ranchers then realized to revenue from useless lions. Beforehand, the bones and meat of shot animals had been dumped, after their skulls and pores and skin had been eliminated for taxidermy. However in 2008, ranchers started legally exporting bones to Asia, the place they had been offered as costly “tiger bone,” for use in conventional Chinese language drugs and for different makes use of. Earlier than lengthy, ranchers and middlemen had been yearly exporting tons of of skeletons, and typically greater than a thousand.

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Captive lion bones being smuggled from South Africa to Vietnam. Authorities intercepted the bones at O.R.Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in June.

Captive lion bones being smuggled from South Africa to Vietnam. Authorities intercepted the bones at O.R.Tambo Worldwide Airport in Johannesburg in June.
South African Police Service

Conservationists estimated that by 2015, about 200 ranches held no less than 8,000 captive-bred lions. Nearly the entire 638 lions that had been trophy-hunted in South Africa that 12 months got here from this inhabitants. Most hunters had been American, collectively paying $16 million in trophy charges. Though lion breeders stated their {industry} was an vital a part of the “biodiversity economic system,” producing revenue and jobs from wild species, a robust backlash was constructing in opposition to it.

Journalists uncovered poor situations on some lion farms, the place sick, underfed animals had been crowded in tiny enclosures. Animal welfare organizations’ undercover investigations revealed that some lion breeders had been telling their “voluntourists” that animals can be launched into the wild for conservation functions. (South Africa’s wild lion inhabitants isn’t endangered.) Leaked movies of captive-bred lion hunts confirmed tame animals — typically apparently drugged — positioned in small, fenced areas for unskilled guests to shoot. Over time, reporters documented more and more frequent incidents of captive-bred lions injuring or killing ranch employees, lion homeowners, and guests. Tourism consultants stated that breeders had been damaging “Model South Africa,” hurting the way more vital ecotourism {industry}.

Some help large-scale euthanasia, even whereas recognizing it could generate a world media firestorm.

In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that captive-bred lions provided no conservation profit as a result of they didn’t incentivize the safety of pure habitat and it banned the import of these trophies. (The company continued to permit a small variety of wild lion trophy imports from South Africa as a result of a portion of charges did help wild lion conservation.) This prompted some breeders to mass-euthanize their lions and promote their bones, however in 2019 a South African choose successfully shut down such exports on animal welfare grounds.

That very same 12 months, setting minister Barbara Creecy arrange a panel of consultants to develop a administration coverage for 4 iconic species, together with lions. The panel beneficial that South Africa not breed or preserve lions in captivity, or use captive lions or their physique elements commercially. The Nationwide Cupboard, which incorporates President Cyril Ramaphosa, agreed, and in Could of 2021 Creecy introduced that her ministry would begin the consultations legally required to shut the {industry} down. She later instituted a activity workforce that features conservationists and lion consultants to plot a “voluntary exit technique” for captive lion breeders. The lion breeders’ days had been numbered, or so it appeared.

Lion skeletons, a skull, and claws prepared for taxidermy, and in the bottom-right, a box of clean lion bones to be sent to Southeast Asia.

Lion skeletons, a cranium, and claws ready for taxidermy, and within the bottom-right, a field of fresh lion bones to be despatched to Southeast Asia.
Vivienne Williams

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However now, greater than two years after the minister’s announcement, the duty workforce has begun growing plans to assist lion breeders and their susceptible employees construct different companies. But it stays unclear what’s going to occur with the lions themselves, or how quickly the {industry} will truly stop operation.

The primary stumbling block is cash. Lion breeders say their {industry} was developed legally, has paid taxes, and has supplied employment, so that they’re entitled to compensation. However the authorities, combating failing infrastructure and a 32 % unemployment price, says it can’t contribute important funds to a shutdown. “They need us to voluntarily exit,” stated Hannes Wessels, of the South African Predator Affiliation (SAPA), which represents a number of the largest breeders. “However we’ve got one query for the federal government: What’s in it for us?” Though there are persistent rumors of personal donors who’ve agreed to fund no less than some facets of a shutdown, neither the quantities on supply nor the names of donors may very well be confirmed.

Some animal welfare activists have proposed that captive-bred lions be moved to well-managed “sanctuaries.” These spacious services enable cats to reside out their pure lifespans, stop breeding, and forbid pointless dealing with and industrial exploitation. There are, nevertheless, only a few accredited lion sanctuaries in South Africa, and these are already full.

A handful of South African searching outfitters have not too long ago provided discounted lion shoots, apparently to eliminate cats.

Some breeders have advised changing their services to sanctuaries, nevertheless it’s unclear how these can be financed. It prices about $10,000 a 12 months to feed and supply take care of a sanctuary lion, stated Cathrine Cornwall-Nyquist of the Panthera Africa Massive Cat Sanctuary, close to Cape City. “Sanctuaries will most likely solely be an choice for a small variety of lions,” stated Louise De Waal of Blood Lions, an activist group that campaigns in opposition to the captive {industry}.

One other different can be large-scale euthanasia of captive lions, an concept that some conservationists and animal welfare activists help. However they acknowledge such a transfer would generate a world media firestorm for all events — together with the federal government, anti-industry marketing campaign teams, and the lion breeders. “Nobody needs to fund the mass euthanasia of lions,” stated De Waal.

Kamalasen Chetty, chairperson of the exit technique activity workforce, stated, “There are clear no-nos, and a type of is mass euthanasia.” His group isn’t contemplating that choice. It’s, nevertheless, open to placing down a small variety of unwell or very outdated captive lions after evaluation by veterinarians, he stated.

Lions at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa.

Lions on the Emoya Massive Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa.
Dan Kitwood / Getty Photos

Breeders say that their animals may very well be “rewilded” for conservation, citing a few industry-funded research that present captive-bred lions can be taught to hunt for themselves, and that captive lions on the ranches sampled are usually not inbred. However Paul Funston, government director of African Lion Conservation, stated that each one the out there lion habitat in nationwide parks and personal reserves is already totally occupied; the nation has a surfeit of true wild lions. Along with these on government-owned land, there are about 900 wild lions on some 58 non-public reserves within the nation, he stated. These cats breed effectively, he added, and if extra protected land grew to become out there, conservationists would inventory it from these populations, not with captive-bred cats.

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There are indicators {that a} minority of lion homeowners will signal as much as voluntarily exit. A number of smaller-scale breeders seem like promoting their animals to bigger operators, stated Mpho Mokoena, an inspector with the Nationwide Council for the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), who visits lion ranches frequently. A handful of searching outfitters have not too long ago provided discounted lion shoots, apparently to eliminate cats, and Blood Lions says that about 200 lions are live-exported yearly — principally to Asia and the Center East — apparently to get across the bone export ban.

“There’s a giant battle coming,” stated one breeder, “and I don’t suppose the lion farmers are going to lose. I cannot cease breeding.”

However there’s no proof that almost all of breeders intends to cease. Mokoena stated that some had been transporting lions to extra loosely regulated provinces or constructing services in neighboring Zimbabwe. Breeders have re-branded their captive-bred cats as “ranch lions” and are welcoming again American shooters. Regardless that the U.S. nonetheless doesn’t enable these trophies to be imported, Pennsylvania-based Kanati Taxidermy Studio has developed a workaround: shooters ship the corporate pictures and measurements of their kills, from which it creates ultra-realistic artificial trophies — People not have to ship actual skulls, skins, and claws to their taxidermists. Wessels of SAPA stated that 2023 has seen unusually giant numbers of lion shooters visiting South Africa, resulting in a latest scarcity of trophy-grade captive-bred lions.

And though the federal government has not issued permits for bone exports for years, some breeders, anticipating the success of a authorized problem to the cessation of those exports, at the moment are stockpiling bones: Wessels says he is aware of of no less than 2,000 stockpiled skeletons within the nation. He and others verify that some lion breeders proceed to promote bones to be smuggled out of South Africa, and Wessels stated that he doesn’t intend to cease breeding. “There’s a giant battle coming,” he stated, “and I don’t suppose the lion farmers are going to lose. I cannot cease breeding. By no means!”

Dries van Coller, CEO of the Skilled Hunters’ Affiliation of South Africa, which helps the well-regulated captive breeding of lions, stated the federal government merely doesn’t have the capability to control the {industry} and is merely “kicking the can down the highway.” The federal government, he stated, should both say, “Okay guys, let’s chew the bullet. We’re going to euthanize a complete lot of lions and undergo the fallout from that,” or it should work with {industry} to discover a “complete, honest means” of coping with 1000’s of captive large cats, which may embrace searching them.

“The way forward for these animals nonetheless hangs within the steadiness,” stated Blood Lions’ Louise De Waal. “What to do with them is the massive elephant within the room.”

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