Bloomberg
Antony Sguazzin

LION breeders say they face bankruptcy and may be forced to slaughter thousands of the big cats when government implements laws in March banning most breeding of the animals for hunting.

The South African Predator Breeders’ Association said this week the laws meant breeders could not generate enough money to buy donkeys from villagers and low-grade meat from abattoirs to feed the lions, and might boost hunting of wild lions elsewhere in Africa. SA has up to 300 breeders keeping about 5000 lions worth R5000 to R200000 each.


The local lion industry has grown rapidly over the past decade as it is cheaper for American and European tourists to shoot captive lions released into the wild a few days before they are killed.


Government faces increased lobbying from animal rights organisations to curb the largely unregulated industry.


“They want to close down a viable business,†said Carel van Heerden, association chairman, from Vryburg yesterday.

“An American will pay $60000 for a 21-day safari in Tanzania and is not guaranteed a lion.

“Here for $15000-$25000 he can be guaranteed a lion and we can even send him a photograph of the animal before he travels,†he said.


The closing of the industry would deprive villagers of income as donkeys fetched R200 to R400 apiece, said Van Heerden, whose organisation represents 150 breeders, one of whom keeps 350 of the cats. Farmers’ expenditure that may be lost included the purchasing of farms of between 2000ha and 3000ha.


There are about 2700 wild lions in SA, says National Geographic, and between 28000 and 47000 lions in sub-Saharan Africa, Tigerhomes.org reports.



Animal rights organisations say compensation should be provided so that the lions can live out their lives while the industry winds down.


Will Travers, director of the Born Free Foundation in Sussex, England, said the situation was due to “government inaction, a lack of legislation. The new laws must carry a government responsibility.â€


Travers, whose organisation was inspired by the 1964 film about lions, Born Free, said the closing of the industry would not affect lion numbers elsewhere as the number of wild lions that could be hunted every year was set “through scientific quotasâ€.


The hunting of captive lions, known as “canned huntingâ€, attracted adverse attention to SA’s hunting industry in 1997 when the BBC’s Cook Report programme showed a lioness being shot next to a fence, on the other side of which were her cubs.

Thanks for the story Kathi.

quote:

Report programme showed a lioness being shot next to a fence, on the other side of which were her cubs.

I love this bit.

Apparently lions don't kill a wildebeest cow while her calf is standing by watching ha?

Sensationalism rearing its ugly head again, and sadly the majority of viewers swallow it all.

Wasn't that the MacDonald story with the hidden camera as well as other footage?

"Wasn't that the MacDonald story ....

Yes.

This may be a naive question, but I imagine I'm not the only one who's had the thought.

Could some of the 5000 lions held by breeders be relocated to wild areas to bolster dwindling populations elsewhere?

I know there's the complex social structure of a wild lion pride, and the question of their ability to survive without being spoon fed a donkey every week. Other issues might be safety, as they're probably much more familiar with humans. And finally, would a hunter after a wild lion be interested in one that was relocated say as a cub, or worse as a mature male weeks or months prior.

Maybe a topic for another thread, but I'd be interested in comments from those that know more.

Brian

To hell with them...... they've done more to destroy the reputation of the SA hunting industry than any other group of people in existance. The sooner they go out of business the better. - It's just a shame they have stayed in business as long as they have.

And that's understating my feelings on the matter.

The theory I have heard most is that when these cats are released, even in family groups, that their ability to hunt for themselves is gone. It seems to the custom to release them individually.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
To hell with them...... they've done more to destroy the reputation of the SA hunting industry than any other group of people in existance. The sooner they go out of business the better. - It's just a shame they have stayed in business as long as they have.

And that's understating my feelings on the matter.

I'm glad you said it Steve. I've been biting my tongue.

Maybe that's why I'm not a moderator..... I'm just not diplomatic enough.....

The South African Predator Breeders’ Association needs a new PR firm, What a joke! None of these guys give a rats ass about any black villagers, It's all about money ! If you hate sport hunting and want to see it stooped, Don't change anything! It's only a matter of time before one of these groups come up with the african version of the "Guns of Autumn "

I have to agree with Sakari and Nickadu. Anybody that boasts they can provide a picture of "your" lion prior to the hunt should be driven out of business. It's called hunting, not shooting and killing.

I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I took a lion under conditions these people are so proud of and want to uphold.Probably done more damage to the hunting community than anything else.

Better for the hunting community if they all the "put and take" outfits go belly up. I'm not opposed to hunting anything in a free range condition, but to be able to provide pics ahead of time would negate the free range part of it. I don't care if it is lions in RSA or whitetails in TX. If you can take pics on command, you can control when and where it is shot. We call that livestock, not game animals where I come from.

Mac

quote:

Originally posted by btglfer:
This may be a naive question, but I imagine I'm not the only one who's had the thought.

Could some of the 5000 lions held by breeders be relocated to wild areas to bolster dwindling populations elsewhere?

I know there's the complex social structure of a wild lion pride, and the question of their ability to survive without being spoon fed a donkey every week. Other issues might be safety, as they're probably much more familiar with humans. And finally, would a hunter after a wild lion be interested in one that was relocated say as a cub, or worse as a mature male weeks or months prior.

Maybe a topic for another thread, but I'd be interested in comments from those that know more.

Brian

Let them loose at the headquarters of PETA, the DNC and over the fence in the Mugabe palace. All sorts of policy changes would quickly result.

PETA.. "A rat is a cat is a dog is a boy" would quickly change to "Shoot the M...... F..... ers!

DNC... The Brady Bill would be modified to the "Shoot the M...... F......ers!" Bill.

and at..

The Mugabe Palace... Crowds would gather and chant, "Eat the M...... F......ers!



Just a matter of perspective.

Maybe they could be let loose at Yellowstone. They could eat tourists, elk and wolves?

Turn them loose in Kenya