In South Africa it will no longer be allowed to breed lions in order to market them for tourism. It remains unclear what this historic decision means for the animals currently in captivity
They made the kings of animals their ATMs. South Africa’s lion farmers, who with around 8,000 specimens have more than twice as many big cats as in the wild, slaughter the majestic animals commercially in four ways: They keep their babies in enclosures, in which they are paid for by visitors the arm can be taken; they let them – barely grown up – shoot so-called big game hunters on their farms for a lot of money; They sell the bones of the animals to the Far East, where they are ground and brewed as a power tea; and in order to keep their operating costs as low as possible, they recruit voluntary helpers from overseas, who are then allowed to think of themselves as rescuers of the threatened manes.
There are currently around 350 such lion farms in the Cape of Good Hope: their owners, mostly white ex-farmers, are making dizzying profits. For two decades, the controversial industry caused negative headlines around the world: campaigns were launched, films were made, angry letters were written to the local authorities. Nevertheless, the lobby of the rich lion exploiters has so far had the upper hand. Now, however, a rethinking is looming in Pretoria: Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s Minister for “Environment, Forestry and Fisheries”, pronounced a ban on business with the kings of animals at the beginning of this week. A “new era” is dawning, according to Creezy.
Two years ago, the ANC politician set up a 25-person “advisory commission” that included not only those involved in nature conservation and experts from science and research, but also economists, representatives of rural communities and farmers. They have now submitted a 580-page report that aims to regulate the handling of the most prominent South African wildlife – lions, elephants, rhinos and leopards.
During the deliberations of the “Panel”, it was reported that there was always a lot going on: In the end, however, a majority vote also prevailed on the hottest of the questions, the breeding of lions. “We do not want to raise lions in captivity,” it says: Hunting captured lions, petting their babies and recycling lion carcasses should also be banned. The reason given is that the practice casts a “bad light” on South African nature conservation and tourism – as well as on big game hunting. With it, the country earns more than 300 million euros annually, with tourism even more than 20 billion euros.
According to experts, the Commission has initiated a U-turn in South African animal welfare: it has so far been dictated by commercial considerations and the interests of around 20,000 private game farmers. They see themselves as the best conservationists: Most of the last 20,000 or so white rhinos in the world are actually on private farms. Their owners got to hear that the government no longer wants to advocate a restricted clearance of the rhino trade – the rhinoceros farmer is thus breaking the business model. The sale of the rhinoceros, which was regularly sawn off, was supposed to finance their farms.
On one issue, however, the private animal reserves prevailed. In South Africa, “legal, regulated and responsible big game hunting must be preserved and promoted,” says the Commission report, because the income from this would benefit both animal welfare and the rural population. A “concession” from those who feel committed to nature conservation to the commercial game farmers, says eco-journalist Don Pinnock.
One question, however, remains open: What will happen to the 8,000 lions that are now losing their cramped homes? To put them all to sleep would be tantamount to a PR disaster, in contrast to which the “gate hunt” for captured big cats would look like a minor offense. It is also out of the question to release the incapable of hunting lions into the wild: if they actually survived there, they could be dangerous to humans because they have lost their fear of upright class comrades, it is said. The liberation of the captured lions threatens to end in death – unless there is still an asylum somewhere for the abused kings of the animals.
