Nearly 1 500 big cat trophies exported
2011-03-14 18:10




Cape Town - Big cats, mainly dead ones of the genus Panthera, are big export items, according to figures released by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question, tabled on Monday, she said export permits for more than 1 400 lion (Panthera leo) and leopard (Panthera pardus) trophies were issued in the past two years.

This total - for 2009 and last year - does not include hundreds more export permits for skins, bones, "carcasses" and skulls.

The export permits are issued under provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which South Africa is a signatory.

According to the figures provided by Molewa, the country issued permits during 2009 for the export of 121 live lions, as well as 131 lion skins; 92 carcasses, plus various lion bones; 741 trophies; four "bodies"; and 122 lion skulls.

Figures for last year (2010) are incomplete, due to provinces not yet having captured all the data, but more than and above 153 live lions sent out of the country, South Africa exported 46 skins, 235 "carcasses", 592 trophies, 43 "bodies" and 41 skulls.

Corresponding figures for leopards are considerably lower.

Last year (incomplete figures), permits were issued for the export of one live leopard, six skins, 10 trophies and five skulls.

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported, plus 71 skins, 58 trophies and 90 skulls.

The reply deals only with exports, and gives no indication of the number of lion and leopard trophies within the country.

The parliamentary question was posed by Democratic Alliance deputy chief whip Mike Ellis.

Panthera, a genus of the family Felidae, includes tigers, lions, leopards and panthers.


- SAPA

quote:

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported

That's how I had mine sent back, saves a lot of $$ on doing a full mount. You can also change it around a lot easier in the trophy room.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:

quote:

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported

quote:

That's how I had mine sent back, saves a lot of $$ on doing a full mount. You can also change it around a lot easier in the trophy room.

Well done

Thehe country issued permits during 2009 for the export of 121 live lions.

Figures for last year (2010) are incomplete, but more than and above 153 live lions sent out of the country.

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported.

Would be interesting to know who the buyers were and which country they were exported to.

Hey, those live ones not only make a great conversation piece, but they're the best guard dog around!

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:
Thehe country issued permits during 2009 for the export of 121 live lions.

Figures for last year (2010) are incomplete, but more than and above 153 live lions sent out of the country.

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported.

Would be interesting to know who the buyers were and which country they were exported to.

I will email MAgdel Boshoff in the morning at DEAT and try to get an answer from her. Might have something to do with those rumours of caged cats being send for hunting to other African countries.....Cannot think anyone would be so obvious in getting a permit if he wants to do that though......interesting stats, thanks Kathi.

Charl,

Rumour that caged cats may have gone across borders to be sold to trophy hunters it may well be, but someone produced an interesting set of figures regarding the export of live cats of the Panthera group.

According to the report a total of 274 live Lions were exported from RSA during the 2009/2010 period while 62 CITES regulated Leopards left the country in 2009.

One can understand the relatively uncontrolled exportation of Lions but the strict CITES regulations on Leopard leaves a question mark.

The same source of this information has to have a list of countries and the respective buyers which will provide interesting reading.

CITES allocation on Leopard for South Africa is 150. And we try to get more as we are swamped with truly WILD leopard.

Also it is a bit of a grey area, as some trophies are exported 2 years after they are hunted.

Each and every year about 50 Leopards are succesfuly hunted in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

quote:

The country issued permits during 2009 for the export of 121 live lions.

Figures for last year (2010) are incomplete, but more than and above 153 live lions sent out of the country.

The year before (2009), a total of 62 live leopards were exported.

Charl,

The dead ones are of no real concern - the report includes the EXPORT OF LIVE Lions and Leopards and their unknown or unpublished destination is of REAL INTEREST.
I'm sure you have the right connections to be able to discover what went where and to whom.