Story at a glance
- South Africa is currently the only country with permission to sell and export lion parts.
- Following a recent report, the country is moving to end captive hunting and other practices.
- The country is enacting a moratorium on the trade of lion parts, such as bones, but has yet to legally end the practice of captive breeding.
The only country that can legally sell and export lion parts may soon end the practice of captive breeding altogether. South Africa announced an end to hunting lions in captivity and established a moratorium on the trade of lion parts after a recent report recommended the end of captive lion breeding.
“That this diabolical practice and senseless cruelty may be seeing its last days is welcome news for one of the keystone species of Africa and the world,” said Cyril Christo, in an opinion editorial for Changing America.
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“The panel recommends that South Africa does not captive -breed lions, keep lions in captivity, or use captive lions or their derivatives commercially”_Minister Creecy pic.twitter.com/7j6dj3WSsX
— Environmentza (@environmentza) May 2, 2021
In December, a panel of experts issued a high-level report on existing conservation policies, legislation and practices that set a vision for “secured, restored, and rewilded natural landscapes with thriving populations of Elephant, Lion, Rhino, and Leopard, as indicators for a vibrant, responsible, inclusive, transformed, and sustainable wildlife sector.”
Established after the Colloquium on Captive Lion Breeding recommended an end to lion breeding in 2018, the panel concluded there was “no scientific evidence” that captivity aided conservation efforts and instead actively harmed tourism due to changing public opinion.
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“It is important to stress that the recommendations are not against the hunting industry. Preventing the hunting of captive lions is in the interests of the authentic wild hunting industry, and will boost the hunting economy and our international reputation, and the jobs that this creates,” said Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in a statement.
While the panel did not reach an unanimous decision regarding the immediate end to captive lion breeding, it recommended an immediate moratorium on the trade of lion derivatives as well as an end to hunting and tourist interactions.
“I have requested the department to action this accordingly and ensure that the necessary consultation for implementation is conducted,” Creecy said, referring to the report’s findings.
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