Protect lions, activists tell African govts
The lion gazes at the tourists in Queen Elizabeth National Park. PHOTO/EDGAR R BATTE
What you need to know:
- To halt the growth of the captive lion population, the report findings also recommend protocols based on animal welfare criteria for lion euthanasia, carcass disposal, sterilization, transport and keeping conditions
Animal activists have urged African governments to strongly protect the lions that are being sold locally and internationally.
The call by World Animal Protection and Blood Lions came following a decision by the South African government to approve the findings to end commercial captivity of lions.
“…World Animal Protection and Blood Lions would like to see firm and committed timelines for a staged approach to put an end to these unethical and cruel practices,” a statement by World Animal Protection read in part.
Recently, South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Ms Barbra Creecy confirmed the findings and recommendations of the new ministerial report that support calls to end commercial captive lion industry.
Core to the report is that it acknowledges that a voluntary exit should only be the first step in longer-term government objectives of ultimately closing down the lion breeding facilities and to stop the commercial exploitation of lions and canned hunts.
Responding to the report, Dr Louise de Waal, the director at Blood Lions said: “It was of vital importance for MTT report to make it clear that voluntary exit should only be considered as the first step to wider process and affirms the ultimate need for a mandatory end to the lion farming industry…”
He added: “We need to ensure that the industry fully understands that at the end of the process, the only acceptable types of lion facilities in South Africa should be ‘safe havens’ spaces for healthy lions to be given lifetime care, where they are not used or traded for profit, and have a no breeding and no interaction with people except for veterinary care.”
To halt the growth of the captive lion population, the report findings also recommend protocols based on animal welfare criteria for lion euthanasia, carcass disposal, sterilization, transport and keeping conditions.
It also states the need to prevent the purchasing of new lions and re-entry into the industry.
This development comes at the time when the head of wildlife Research at World Animal Protection Dr Neil D’Cruze has been calling for a mandatory end to lion farming due to the cruelty and criminality involved.
African lions are extensively farmed for profit in South Africa where by they have been legally sold and traded live both internationally and domestically.
Some of the lions are used as entertainment in attractions like cub petting and ‘walk with lions’ experiences and voluntourism.
Up until 2019, some of the lions were also legally exploited for their body parts for traditional medicine both in South Africa and internationally, predominantly the export of their bones to Asia.
[email protected]
