Born free - for the hunter's bullet
December 27, 2007 Edition 1

Sheree Béga

Captive-bred lions have been temporarily excluded from new rules aimed at controlling the hunting of large predators in South Africa, drawing an outcry from conservation groups.

This is pending legal action against some of the regulations, which aim to rein in unethical practices like "canned" hunting, brought by the SA Predator Breeders' Association against the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Last week, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced "watertight" amendments to the Threatened or Protected Species (Tops) regulations covering large predators and rhino, to come into force on February 1.

But Van Schalkwyk stated: "The definition for listed large predators has, however, been changed to temporarily exclude lion from the definition while the court case is pending".

Lion breeders and hunters hope their case in the Bloemfontein high court, likely to be heard around April, will throw out the regulations affecting lions.

The regulations, which were supposed to come into effect on June 1 this year but were delayed due to implementation concerns by provincial authorities, impose tougher restrictions on the keeping, breeding and hunting of large predators. This is to stop "environmental thugs" involved in canned hunting and unethical breeding, according to Van Schalkwyk.

While not outlawing "canned" hunting entirely, the regulations decree that captive-bred predators - mostly lions - which are often hand-reared, cannot be hunted unless they have been free-roaming in an "extensive wildlife system" and have caught their own prey for at least two years.

But lion breeders and hunters have attacked this two-year "wilding" period, arguing there is no scientific basis for it.

Conservationists, meanwhile, argue the two-year delay merely serves to allow a lion cub to grow to the ideal trophy size; saying the regulations inclusion of a "fair chase" principle in the hunt is a sham, and that fenced-in lions have no chance of escape from a hunter's bullet.

Louise Joubert, the founder trustee of the SanWild Wildlife Trust in Limpopo, was "shocked" that lions had been temporarily left out of the regulations.

Van Schalkwyk, she claimed, was being "intimidated" by the lion hunting fraternity.

"Instead of the minister saying to them: 'You guys started up outside the parameters of the laws; we are now shutting you down; the broader public has said we must rid SA of this horrible practice; take me to court if you want'; he didn't do that.

"What is even more disappointing is the national and provincial departments haven't stopped the expansion of this industry. 'Canned' hunting doubled in 2007.

"If the government had serious intent to stop the industry, it would have started taking account of the breeding projects. It would have shut down illegal projects and curbed breeding within the existing parameters of the law, specifically for the hundreds of lions being held illegally without permits. But the government has done nothing."

The wildlife industry was at a "bloody crossroads", said Joubert. "Our wildlife is under growing pressure from people who want to farm wild animals like battery chickens. The manner in which lions are produced is morally unacceptable."

Local lion-hunting operations, faced with the regulations, were now trying to set up their operations in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Joubert said.

"Botswana has banned the breeding of lions for hunting outright, but I don't have too much hope it will happen here."

Will someone PLEASE tell these idiots to wake up to reality?

Lions are bred to be shot. So what?

How about we stop all the millions of cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens that are bred for the sole purpose of being slaughtered?

Saeed, you cannot be suggesting that dangerous game hunting is or should be equivalent to the slaughter of livestock.

Butcher's work is honest labor, but it is not hunting.

Good - for now. Van Schalkwyk (un)fortunately has a history of ... "I have my principles. If you don't like them, I have some others."

Well said Johan!

Can someone with a good command of both English and Afrikaans attempt an accurate translation of van Schalkwyk's nickname: Kortbroek van Schalkwyk. I think he will do this nickname proud in this matter too.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

A wise man in a murder investigation once said, " just follow the money......" and when the prosecutor did, they found their conviction.

A Lion breeder said to me at a game auction in August that their whole operation is worth R50mil...The ranch,game, lions,etc. If the lions go, all go.....so he said"I'm not alone, do you think we will let this happen? No, we will sue them, and sue them again, and if that fails, sue them again. By the time we get a court date, we will have hunted enough lions to finance it all" . I will never forget that conversation. This guy is now the principal representing the breeders in court....

Just a thought. I have given up long ago to worry about this issue.....

So, what is the translated English nickname of our good friend in the government? We're waiting. . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
So, what is the translated English nickname of our good friend in the government? We're waiting. . . .

"Short pants" Like the ones all we PH's wear all the time, short pants, or like they are known all over the world "shorts". I'm waiting for one of the other members to come up with the WHY explenation....

LEt me tell you, I was at the PHASA AGM when the man talked to us....What he said sounded great, but it was one of the best rehearsed politician BS speeches I have ever seen or listened to......

UEG, "Short Pants" is the literal translation, but the "interpretive" translation in terms of American equivalent lingo would be "Goofy" or my preferred one - "Gumby". It comes from his boyish appearance, behaviour and character, which is out of place for a person in his position. If he were in the (real) mafia, he would have been called "Baby Face van Schalkwyk"

quote:

Originally posted by infinito:
LEt me tell you, I was at the PHASA AGM when the man talked to us....What he said sounded great, but it was one of the best rehearsed politician BS speeches I have ever seen or listened to......

Infinito, Like all South African cabinet ministers, he has people writing his speeches for him. A few of them (the writers) actually understand what they write!

Any man that betrays his people for a nice cosy job doesn't deserve any respect from me and i will double check everything he does or says

Guys,
"kortbroek" or "short pants" is also an indirect way of telling someone that they are still in junior school, and have not moved up into the world of the grown-ups, in this case those with a wealth of experience.
This was the inference that the old guard were making when they and the media gave van Schalkwyk the nickname.
I was also at the Phasa convention, and he mouthed a lot of the things he thought we wanted to hear, including his personal intervention with the provinces to ensure that the TOPS implementation would go smoothly, well, I suggest that you do not hold your breath.

Why everything else in the world is going backwards ? Greed and money like Charl said they will keep sueing and going to court untill they have found another backdoor or a solution.

Unfortunately our govenrment doesnt have the finances to keep fighting a fight like this against the big boys who has a lot of capital in their pockets. It will just drag out untill it falls on deaf ears.

I'm not saying that canned lion hunting is right but if they did it properly by releasing the lion in a big fenced area 1000 hectares plus did not drug or feed them and then be hunted there, there would not have been a Cook report in first place.
Just like apartheid if the law wasn't put on paper everyone would have looked passed it.

South African hunting has been given a bad taste in the mouths for a lot of overseas hunters beacuse of this. But if you do proper research and references you will not go wrong with a good outfit in South Africa.