planned ban on canned lion hunting in SA

THE minister of environment, forestry and fisheries, Barbara Creecy, recently announced that South Africa is working towards ending captive breeding and keeping of lions for canned hunting, as well as for cub-petting.

Canned hunting is the hunting of captive animals in a closed-off area where they can’t escape. These areas are bigger than zoo enclosures but small enough that the animals can be easily tracked.

International hunters pay huge amounts of money to visit private game farms to shoot big cats like lions and leopards. The animals aren’t given a fair chance as the enclosed area makes the hunt easier for the hunter.

International visitors are granted special permits which allow them to kill the animals then take them home with them as trophies. On private game farms they’re supported and assisted by guides during the hunt.

The topic has been controversial and widely discussed, as thousands of lions are believed to be in captivity in SA for canned-hunting purposes.

Concerns have also been raised as to how the animals are treated at breeding facilities – for instance, whether their enclosures are overcrowded or they get enough water and food.

Environmental organisations have worked tirelessly for years to put an end to canned hunting, as they believe the animals are being exploited (see Word of the Week).

Experts found that among animals bred in captivity population numbers are also decreasing. Most often it’s large male lions that are hunted, which affects the animals’ natural breeding patterns.

In 2018, SA’s parliamentary portThe folio committee on environmental affairs called for captive breeding of lions to be halted.

A 2019 research report revealed there were 300 breeding centres in the country and 24 hunting facilities with around 637 lions available for hunting in 2016/17.

Creecy recently approved a report from environmental experts to ban canned hunting after hearing submissions on how damaging the practice is to animals. The report is awaiting approval from parliament.