Extracts from: LION BONE BRIEFING / UPDATE
BY RICHARD HARGREAVES
4 DECEMBER 2013
The South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs was recently asked about Lion carcase exports.
PDR Lao (formerly Laos)
The Minister’s figures are broadly reflected / confirmed on the CITES trade database so it can be said with a good degree of confidence that:
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 900 dead lions from South Africa to Lao PDR in just 4 years from 2009 to 2012.
Viet Nam
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 200 dead lions from South Africa to Viet Nam from 2008 to 2012.
China
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 170 dead lions from South Africa to China from 2008 to 2012.
Observations
Without even getting into the realms of the hundreds (probably thousands) of ‘genuine’ (for want of a better word) lion trophy exports from South Africa over the period 2008 to 2012, put simply:
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of nearly (if not more than) 1,300 dead lions from South Africa to China, Lao PDR and Viet Nam in just 5 years from 2008 to 2012 inclusive.
From the Minister’s previous answers on this issue (as well as additional supporting evidence) it is well known that the majority of these dead lions went to the notorious Xaysavang import and export company in Lao PDR / Viet Nam.
From the Minister’s previous answers on this issue it is also well known that the Van Der Westhuizen family at ‘Letsatsi la Africa’ were named most frequently by the Minister as the family doing the exporting of these dead lions from South Africa to Xaysavang (with corroborative evidence showing that they are also doing the breeding, raising and killing).
From Karl Ammann’s recent evidence, it is now also known that the majority of these 1,300 dead lions will have been used for products being passed off in Asia as containing Tiger (e.g. Tiger ‘cake’) – See for example:
http://www.cannedlion.org/1/post/2013/11/millions-of-dollars-for-old-bones.html
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BY RICHARD HARGREAVES
4 DECEMBER 2013
The South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs was recently asked about Lion carcase exports.
PDR Lao (formerly Laos)
The Minister’s figures are broadly reflected / confirmed on the CITES trade database so it can be said with a good degree of confidence that:
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 900 dead lions from South Africa to Lao PDR in just 4 years from 2009 to 2012.
Viet Nam
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 200 dead lions from South Africa to Viet Nam from 2008 to 2012.
China
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of over 170 dead lions from South Africa to China from 2008 to 2012.
Observations
Without even getting into the realms of the hundreds (probably thousands) of ‘genuine’ (for want of a better word) lion trophy exports from South Africa over the period 2008 to 2012, put simply:
South Africa officially issued permits for the export of nearly (if not more than) 1,300 dead lions from South Africa to China, Lao PDR and Viet Nam in just 5 years from 2008 to 2012 inclusive.
From the Minister’s previous answers on this issue (as well as additional supporting evidence) it is well known that the majority of these dead lions went to the notorious Xaysavang import and export company in Lao PDR / Viet Nam.
From the Minister’s previous answers on this issue it is also well known that the Van Der Westhuizen family at ‘Letsatsi la Africa’ were named most frequently by the Minister as the family doing the exporting of these dead lions from South Africa to Xaysavang (with corroborative evidence showing that they are also doing the breeding, raising and killing).
From Karl Ammann’s recent evidence, it is now also known that the majority of these 1,300 dead lions will have been used for products being passed off in Asia as containing Tiger (e.g. Tiger ‘cake’) – See for example:
http://www.cannedlion.org/1/post/2013/11/millions-of-dollars-for-old-bones.html
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