NGOs have launched an awareness campaign calling for an end to the commercial captive lion industry in South Africa, ahead of World Lion Day on August 10.
According to a joint press release from the four NGOs, the ‘You’re killing them softly’ campaign seeks to bring awareness to “the fact that any visitor or volunteer paying to play, bottle feed, and/or hand-raise captive-bred predator cubs, use them as photo props, or merely visit predator parks, is fuelling South Africa’s cruel commercial captive predator-breeding industry.”
The group of NGOs includes Blood Lions, FOUR PAWS South Africa, Humane Society International-Africa and Voice4Lions.
“However well intentioned people’s actions are, these cubs are not orphans, they have no conservation value, they are purely bred to feed an unethical and insidious industry that commodifies these predators,” the group stated.
The group highlighted unethical practices such as cub petting, walking with predators, canned hunting, live trade and trade in bones, parts and derivatives.
“The dignity of our iconic species has been replaced by the commodification of captive lions and other predators at every stage of their lives. Currently, at least 8 000 lions and thousands of other big cats, including many tigers and cheetahs, are bred and kept at approximately 350 lion farms in South Africa,” the group elaborated.
The NGOs said that World Lion Day 2024 comes at a pivotal point for South Africa as it enters its new Government of National Unity and the world intensifies its appeals for governments to consider the importance of environmental issues in policy and legislation.
The commercial captive lion industry is one such issue that has garnered substantial attention, leading to a Parliamentary Colloquium in 2018, the formation of a High Level Panel and subsequent Ministerial Task Team under former Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy.
This process led to the commitment of the government to take steps to ultimately close South Africa’s commercial captive lion industry. These include the April approval of a DFFE task team report that identified voluntary exit options for the captive lion industry.
Recommendations included humane euthanasia, phasing out through trade opportunities, the surrender of lions to safe havens or authorities, and the repurposing of facilities as lion safe havens, as well as the surrendering or domestic trade of lion bone stockpiles for a period of two years.
Whilst acknowledging this progress and improved policy stances on the conservation of elephants, lions, leopards and rhinos, the group urged the DFFE to publish a detailed implementation plan with time-bound goals.
“There is hope to end this cruel and rampant industry and we commend the Cabinet for their commitment. This move will ensure that these majestic animals are no longer bred to suffer for profit. However, we urge the government to ensure the wellbeing of other predators by extending the ban to all captive big cats and prohibit their ownership as pets and playthings.”
The group has called for members of the public to sign the Big Cats SA petition to “help urge the DFFE to introduce legislation that prohibits keeping tigers, lions, other big cat species and predators as pets.”
“This legislation should include banning public contact with all big cat species and predators, not just lions, including keeping such species for promotional, educational or entertainment purposes, and interactive experiences like cub petting and walking with big cats,” according to the group.
The campaign has launched the below video as part of the initiative.
