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Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH)

Cub Petting in SA: to ban or regulate?

1/27/2017

24 Comments

 
Picture
Captive Carnivores Working Group
From left to right
Chris Mercer CACH, Mike Fynn Lion and Safari Park (LSP), Andre La Cock LSP, Mandla Mdluli DAFF, Petri Viljoen ALWG, Tom Wittenberg Economist, Riaan Crafford Ondestepoort Vet, Carla vd Vyver SAPA, Katja Koeppel Ondestepoort Vet, Pieter Van Zyl SAPA, Linda Park CACH, Magdel Boshoff DEA and John Werth PAAZA/WAZA.


A group of concerned members from diverse areas of operations and interests established a Captive Lion Working Group, with an initial specific focus on lion breeding and cub petting. The group met at Lion & Safari Park on 21 January 2017 to discuss the subject of captive lions, and cub petting in particular.

The diversity of the group is demonstrated by the mix of representatives, namely Onderstepoort, SA Vet Council, PAAZA, African Lion Working Group (IUCN SSC), Lion & Safari Park, SA Predators Association (SAPA), Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH), as well as independent specialists and consultants. The Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were also invited to participate in the discussions, and representatives from both departments attended the meeting.

Under the facilitation of CBSG (IUCN Breeding Specialist Group), constructive debate and input from this group of professional and experienced participants resulted in consensus that, despite differences in opinion and priorities, the working group would continue to operate and would pursue the drafting of an industry management plan for cub petting that can be circulated to the industry and key stakeholders for input.
It was agreed during the meeting that the group will continue as the Captive Carnivores Working Group.

CACH believes that an agreement on regulations for carnivores in captivity, thus far totally unregulated, with a universal welfare plan is a step forward, whilst our push for an entire ban on the industry continues unabated. Our teams continue to press tourism stakeholders not to promote or support cub petting.


24 Comments
Martina Behla
1/27/2017 11:48:09 pm

I am against cub petting. .thank you for the article

Reply
Gillian Phoenix
1/27/2017 11:54:51 pm

Cubs should only be petted by their parents, with NO HUMAN CONTACT.
Leave these magnificent animals in peace!

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JaneWinwill
1/28/2017 12:18:20 am

I don't want the human keep lions in his home,but in the wild.

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Thomas Bonneville
1/28/2017 01:22:04 am

Regulation may be a step forward, but it requires enforcement and resources. Past experience in many areas shows that the improvements for animals are usually vanishingly small. We must keep pressing for a ban.

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Wendy King
1/29/2017 08:57:11 am

NO to TRADE . . Been there done that, it increases poaching, which then becomes murder! Who NEEDS Lion bones? Itsya falacy! End of . . .

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christine mueller
1/28/2017 03:41:09 am

Leave these beautiful animals alone! Let the cubs run free. The only contact they need is the contact from their parents.

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Nancey Enell
1/28/2017 05:40:35 am

ENOUGH!
Cub Petting equals murder...

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lisa
1/28/2017 12:48:04 pm

No leave these poor babies alone

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Gwen Merrick
1/28/2017 01:12:52 pm

George (one of the Spanish cubs) is still exhibiting the effects of this venal circle of horror after more than two years. He could never survive in the wild because of malnutrition as a cub......

Reply
Ramona
1/29/2017 01:15:32 am

Leave cubs in the wild where they belong

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Cary Lang link
1/29/2017 01:17:53 am

Did you know that, when you pet a wild animal, you may be sentencing that animal to life in a cage forever? Say NO to any form of wildlife petting sanctuary/zoo!

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Margot stewart
1/29/2017 04:13:03 am

No, absolutely no leniency. The industry and conservationists should only be meeting to discuss a plan to dismantle it.
IUCN have recommended this be done by 2020. No more captive breeding of lions for commercial purposes.

Reply
Peggy Moss link
1/29/2017 04:57:47 am

Leave the magnificent animals of Africa alone..Bring out death penalty for Rhino,Elephant ,Lion Pochers

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Becca
1/29/2017 12:16:05 pm

"whilst our push for an entire ban on the industry continues unabated. "
This is the gist of the article Chris posted.

There is a good mix of professionals at these meetings, as Chris mentions. As such, it will take many meetings and discussions to come to a mutual agreement, especially when government representatives are there. And please keep in mind that to be included is nothing minor.

Keep hammering away, Chris!

Reply
Chris Voets
2/6/2017 10:30:38 am

Thank goodness somebody is reading and listening, instead of just doing the usual knee-jerk thing ...... Thank you Becca!
Of COURSE CACH still want the ban on the petting industry, but they are also talking to other parties in order to make that happen, people! Hello??

Reply
Vivien Counsell Mitchell
1/29/2017 04:31:03 pm

To regulate or to ban? A dilemma for sure, but I fear proponents of an undesired behaviour will receive a mixed message because any suggestion of meeting in the middle could be misinterpreted. Ultimately the goal is to stop, forever, human interaction with wild animals. We cannot inadvertently suggest that their behaviour is in any way acceptable. Once young animals have been petted by humans their socialising has already been forever changed, and not to their benefit. So - my answer would be NO - I couldn't agree to regulating, only banning, for those reasons.

Reply
Anjulize Herselman
1/29/2017 11:22:14 pm

Wild animals should live freely, as GOD intended. I wish the death penalty would become applicable to animal cruelty. They deserve our love, care & respect too.

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Margot Stewart
1/30/2017 04:05:35 am

There CANNOT, MUST NOT be any compromise. We saw a few years ago with the court case against SAPA what happens when one tries to compromise. We don't have enough scientific information to make sound decisions. But we saw what happened to rhino because of legal and illegal trade! Now that the USA (the most prolific hunters of lion) have banned the trophies of captive bred lions this is now the PERFECT time to close the whole industry down, before it sprouts branches... such as we can see happening with lion bone trade. This talk of "petting zoos" is a ploy for the breeders to get validity. CLOSE THEM DOWN NOW.

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Gordon
1/31/2017 11:30:25 pm

Ban petting..

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Aleksandra
2/1/2017 04:11:33 am

This must be stopped now!

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Shelley Beukes
2/1/2017 05:57:10 am

Please stop the inhumane practice of cub petting. We must stop using animals for our entertainment and medicine. They were created before us and have a right to live in peace on this planet. As for using ivory, horns and bones for medicinal purposes, this is pure, unadalterated hogwash. They have no medicinal value whatsoever.

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Ian Bickerton
2/1/2017 03:09:49 pm

Not even a question. Ban is the only option!!'

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Jessie
2/7/2017 10:01:00 am

Ban petting and let them live freely in the wild!

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Mariam link
11/23/2020 08:34:25 pm

Lovely

Reply



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