Cabinet rules to end captive breeding of lions and rhinos
Cabinet has approved a Policy Position submitted by Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy to close lion facilities and end commercial exploitation of lions and ‘canned’ hunts.
Cubs born into the canned hunting industry are raised to be killed, and are denied their right to be wild. Picture: Blood Lions website
John Maytham speaks to investigative journalist, Don Pinnock.
Cabinet has agreed to end the controversial captive breeding of lions and rhinos. It approved a Policy Position submitted by Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy to close lion facilities and end commercial exploitation of lions and ‘canned’ hunts.
Cabinet also agreed to:
- Phase out intensive management and captive breeding of rhinos.
- Enhance the conservation of wild leopards.
- Limit the live export of lions, elephants, leopards and both rhino species to only habitats within Africa, curbing the growing Asian demand for zoo specimens.
On the export of rhino horn and ivory, the policy says South Africa would work to support international trade, only when “conditions became favourable”.
According to a media statement by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, the policy aims to promote the conservation of at-risk species.
“The policy will transform practices within the wildlife industry that are not conducive to animal well-being and promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in general, and these species in particular. This will enhance South Africa’s position as a megadiverse country and leader in the conservation and sustainable use of these iconic species.”
Media Statement, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment
The policy is reportedly the result of nearly a decade of inquiries, reports, a parliamentary colloquium and increasing local and international abhorrence of ‘canned’ lion hunting which was highlighted in a shocking film flighted in 2015 called Blood Lions.
These inquiries include the Rhino Committee of Inquiry (2015), the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Lion Colloquium on lion breeding (2018), the High-Level Panel Report on lions, rhinos, elephants and leopards (2021) and the White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable use of South Africa’s Biodiversity (2023).
More recently, the collapse of rhino farmer John Hume’s breeding programme left the fate of around 2,000 rhinos at risk until it was saved through a purchase for relocation by the NGO Africa Parks.
Pinnock says there's still lots to do like "look into the nitty gritty and details of the process" regarding where lions currently in these facilities will go.
"What they're going to do is hard to know at this stage, you've got probably ten thousand lions on farms. Over 300 farms will be closed down. We don't know at this stage exactly how and what they're going to do."
- Don Pinnock, Investigative Journalist
Pinnock is hopeful that Creecy's work will put a stop to captive breeding as she's already done the unimaginable.
"She's going for it. I think she's going to make it happen. Five years ago, I wouldn't have imagined that we would have a pronouncement from the cabinet saying we're closing lion farms but there it is. I think she is going to make it happen."
- Don Pinnock, Investigative Journalist