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Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH)

South African Conservation Shambles

4/24/2014

12 Comments

 
Picture

Richard Hargreaves’ latest update on the 

Lion Bone Trade from South Africa.


24 April 2014 

I recently read that the South African provincial records with regard to South Africa’s dead lion exports are a ‘complete shambles’. Based on the latest data now published for 2012 I’m inclined to agree…. 

DEAD LION EXPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO CHINA IN 2012

In December 2013 the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs advised that South Africa exported the following dead lions to China in 2012:

36 trophies


15 bodies


2 skeletons 

By contrast, South Africa’s ‘official’ CITES records now show dead lion exports to China in 2012 of:

21 trophies


1 skin


12 bodies

China’s ‘official’ CITES records for 2012 own up to 17 of these trophies but they also reveal import of a further 92 lion skins (93 in total) from South Africa in 2012 that neither the South African environment Minister nor South Africa’s permit officials were apparently aware of! 

So we have South Africa saying it exported approximately 54 dead lions to China in 2012 but China saying it imported 110 !?! 

DEAD LION EXPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO LAO PDR IN 2012 

In December 2013 the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs advised that South Africa exported the following dead lions to Lao PDR in 2012: 

1 trophy


20 bodies


8 skulls


92 skeletons 

From South Africa’s ‘official’ CITES records those dead lion exports from South Africa to Laos in 2012 can now more accurately be stated as: 

1 trophy 


49 bodies


15 skulls


108 skeletons 

Plus just over 107 kilograms of additional lion bones. 

DEAD LION EXPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO VIETNAM IN 2012 

In December 2013 the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs advised that South Africa exported the following dead lions to Viet Nam in 2012:

8 trophies

738kg of bones

Again, from South Africa’s ‘official’ CITES records those dead lion exports from South Africa to Viet Nam in 2012 can now more accurately be stated at: 

8 trophies

738kg of bones 

Plus a further 72 lion bodies that the Minister was apparently unaware of!?!

CONCLUSION

So what are we looking at here?

Basically well over 350 dead lions were exported from South Africa to Asia in 2012.  

That’s about 150 more than the Minister said it was last December.  

That’s also not including how ever many lions those 845kg of bones comprised…. 

The evidence is in that these dead lions are boiled down upon arrival in Asia and used in products passed off to unsuspecting customers as containing tiger bone. That’s a huge injection into the supply side of the Asian tiger bone trade that poses a dire threat to the world’s last 3,000 tigers.

The South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs previously advised that she would not ban the export of dead lions from South Africa to Asia  as she considered that "the lion bone trade from South Africa posed no threat to wild lions."  

The Minister was recently asked if she will now ban the lion bone trade from South Africa owing to the dire threat that it poses to the world's last 3,000 wild tigers. Still she says no! 

Will the complacency ever end before the last of the big cats is gone from the wild?




12 Comments
Pamela Case
4/23/2014 10:22:29 pm

How is this madness allowed, oh yes people in our government and those involved are making money. This is shameful and we are destroying these beautiful animals, in a few years we will only have pictures left. How can one allow these beautiful creatures to be butchered in cold blood. This is heartbreaking and needs to end. Shame on all those involved - hope your karma is bad

Reply
joanne lewis link
4/24/2014 10:35:08 am

who is this exactly? we can't address the issue without knowing who to address, or what can I do to help.
The South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs previously advised that she would not ban the export of dead lions from South Africa to Asia as she considered that "the lion bone trade from South Africa posed no threat to wild lions."

The Minister was recently asked if she will now ban the lion bone trade from South Africa owing to the dire threat that it poses to the world's last 3,000 wild tigers. Still she says no!

Will the complacency ever end before the last of the big cats is gone from the wild?


Joanne

Reply
Chris Mercer
6/4/2014 09:07:45 pm

IMHO the Minister has as much understanding of conservation as that of a dog watching a passing aircraft.

Reply
La Marca Monique link
4/25/2014 01:02:52 am

Stop the lion bone trade in South Africa.
Leave these magnificent animals in the wild, no more hunting neither trapping, no wearing fur clothes...

Reply
Hennie Bezuidenhout
4/25/2014 01:06:27 am

This is typical of Jacob Zuma and his cronies, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Reply
carlotti
4/25/2014 01:15:30 am

horrible!

Reply
Pearl link
4/25/2014 01:34:50 am

Canned hunting is so clearly unethical that even Safari Club International, which

represents 45 million hunters worldwide, has condemned the practice, saying that the

element of "fair chase" in hunting does not apply to canned hunts. (70)

The breeders show no respect for their animals. In order to maximise profits, the cubs

are almost immediately removed from their mothers to induce another oestrus cycle so she

can be inseminated again. Lionesses have been known to chew on the wire mesh that

separates them from their cubs until their gums bleed. As male lions are the most sought

after trophies, most of the female cubs are killed. (71)

Reply
Ellen Ewers
4/25/2014 01:57:29 am

Stop this now...please!!!

Reply
Tom Pitra
4/25/2014 03:13:11 am

we killing this bastards for it!!! better is killing this bastards than killing this nature after thanks this idiots nature kill us all!....

Reply
Lantana Wade link
4/25/2014 05:43:49 am

STOP THIS!! STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY!!

Reply
Anne Grice
4/25/2014 07:21:41 pm

Basically, killing wild life is inexcusable and must be discouraged on every flawed absurd argument put forward by anyone! Animal parts could never ever cure humans of any ailment or improve any body functions. Using their parts for trinkets, rugs, wall and other forms of decorations is immoral and pathetic. Humans need to reset their humanity button and start thinking of protecting these lives because they are flesh and blood that is affected by nature- they can't be manufactured in a cheap Asian shop!!

Reply
Mónica Pereira
6/3/2014 07:35:45 am

Reply



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