This message is to you. We ask you to join our fight to save the lions of Africa
I am here because I am angry.
Angry at being told that the cruelty is only sustainable use when I can see that it is sustained abuse. Must we all swallow the lie that the only way to save African wildlife is by killing animals?
I’m angry about the pampered trophy hunters who come to SA for no other reason than to torture and kill hand reared lions.
Angry about lion farmers who breed lions for no other reason than to provide tame targets to be executed by sadistic killers.
And I’m angry about tourists who are being duped into feeding the canned hunting industry through cub petting.
Angry that volunteers are being misled to work at lion farms that pose as wildlife sanctuaries.
I’m also tired of being told that hunters only want to kill lions to help the impoverished masses in Africa. Let them donate money if that is a real concern.
And here is CITES standing by watching while Africa’s wildlife heritage collapses in front of our eyes. CITES is supposed to control the international trade in wild animals. Instead, it facilitates wildlife trafficking by ignoring the many loop holes.
I see how the hunting industry has invaded and occupied conservation space, in order to pervert conservation policies. How moral outrage is cunningly deflected with slick public relations. How hunters have paralysed conservation structures in SA. And made preservation a dirty word.
And so it is up to us to fight for change.
I want to thank you all for coming out today and showing the world that we care. But this is only the first step. I need you to do more.
Boycott all tourism facilities in SA that offer cub petting. And persuade your own tourism agencies to promote only ethical tourism to Africa.
We want your tourism dollars to become a force for good in Africa; not a force for evil.
See all SA conservation authorities e-mail addresses below.
Write protest letters, using the information provided in the Summary below:
Our wildlife is being victimised and our heritage destroyed.
We have the power to save African wildlife; although it will not be easy. The hunting fraternity is rich and powerful. But as long as each and every one of us takes on this fight, there is hope.
Call to Action
We would like to ask everyone around the world to help us bring the cruelty, to lions born in captivity for hunting purposes, to an end.
1. Write emails to the SA government officials - emails below, asking for a ban on lion farming.
2. If you live in the USA write to US Fish and Wildlife demanding that they raise the status of all lions, both wild and captive bred, to endangered this will prevent hunters from being able to import lion trophies and thereby bring lion hunting to an end for US hunters.
3. If you live in the European Union write to you MEP asking them to lobby the EU Secretariat for a ban on all lion trophies being imported into the EU.
4. In any other country contact your local MP and ask him to work for a ban on the import of lion trophies and any other body parts.
5. Refrain from cub petting and spread the word via your social media to expose not only the cruelty involved in cub petting but the fact that it is a profitable spin off for lion farmers which enhances the profits of the canned hunting industry. Every cub petted is a lion that will be shot.
6. Refrain from walking with lions for the same reason.
Protest letters
We hope that you will write emails to all those involved with making decisions about the fate of our lions. The list of government and CITES officials is below for your information. Here are all the relevant email addresses in separate blocks so that you can just copy and past them into an email. You are welcome to use our march speech above.
Below are email addresses for SA Government departments, Managed wild lions and captive breeders.
South African Government Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Wild managed lions and breeders
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]' [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; d[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
CITES Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary of Protest Complaints.
CANNED HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA – A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
We hope that once you have read our message, you will be motivated to do what you can to bring the canned hunting of lions and other captive-bred predators in SA to an end.
WHAT IS CANNED HUNTING?
Canned hunting is the lion farmer and trophy collector’s substitute for real hunting. We define it as:
Any hunt where the target animal is unfairly prevented from escaping the hunter, either by physical constraints (fencing ) or by mental constraints (hand reared, habituated to humans).
On this definition, all hunts of captive – bred lions are canned hunts.
SOME SALIENT FACTS:
1. Numbers of lions being captive-bred in S.A. are growing by the day. Latest estimate; 8000 – nearly three times more than the number of wild lions in S.A. Reserves, that number less than 3000.
2. Foreign hunters are mostly from U.S.A. (+/-55%) or Europe (+/-40%)
3. Lion farming does not fall under the Department of Agriculture but the Supreme Court has ruled that it has nothing to do with conservation, so it cannot be regulated by conservation officials either. Lion farming thus falls between two government departments. In consequence, captive predators bred for hunting purposes have no regulatory protection.
4. Lion Bones are sold to known Asian crime syndicates who pay lion farmers US$1,000 for a lion carcass, which is processed in Asia and then fraudulently sold as tiger bone cake for US$70,000 per carcase (US$1000 per 100 grams).
5. Approx 1,000 lions are canned hunted annually in S.A. – about 3 per day. (same as the number of poached Rhino)
WHY SHOULD THIS INDUSTRY BE BANNED?
1. It is cruel. The whole business model is based on cruelty to helpless animals from birth until death. Bow hunting of tame lions is permitted in some provinces. Imagine the public outcry if farmers allowed hunters to come on to livestock farms and shoot sheep and cattle for sport?
2. It is causing a backlash against tourism to South Africa. Ethical tourists are already boycotting SA, causing losses to the legitimate tourism industry. These boycotts will surely increase over time.
3. It is illegal, but no one enforces the laws against such cruelty. The Animals Protection Act of 1962 covers cruelty to captive wild animals; not only cruelty to livestock and domestic animals.
4. It is a wasteful use of land and resources for no public benefit outside the narrow commercial interests of the hunting industry.
5. Private deals with rich foreigners give plenty of opportunities to unscrupulous soldiers of fortune for fraud and foreign currency swindles. Forensic audits need to be conducted across the industry, to protect the fiscus.
6. It is fraudulent at so many levels, right down to the sale of lion bones as tiger bone wine or cake, that have no proven medicinal value.
7. It is a massive and increasing threat to the survival of wild lion populations in Africa. The astronomical profits being made by the Asian profiteers out of lion bones are stimulating an increase in the price of lion bone, which will, in turn, stimulate an increase in the poaching of lions for their bones.
8. Already there are reports in the media about wild lions being killed in Boswana to obtain cubs which are then smuggled across the border in to S.A. Unscrupulous S.A. lion breeders will buy them to bring fresh blood in to their lion stock for genetic reasons, and to ward off captivity depression. This wholesale and unscientific killing of lions has long term effects on wild prides, destroying the core pride function. Research shows that it can take as long as seven years for a lion pride to re-establish itself after the death of the trophy male.
On www.cannedlion.org you’ll find all you need to know about canned hunting, with a selection of relevant TV videos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South African Government Email addresses
We have put all these email addresses in a block above for your convenience to copy and paste into your email.
Ms Olga Kumalo
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Mr Mpho Tjiane
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
1 The Chief Executive: CapeNature
Fauna, Flora, CITES & Hunting
No captive breeding of lions takes place in Western Cape province, so no need for protest letters here (not on this issue, anyway)
Web: http://www.capenature.co.za
2 The Chief Executive Officer
KwaZulu Natal Wildlife
Email: [email protected];
3 The Chief Executive Officer
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency
Email: [email protected];
4 The Head of Department
Free State Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
5 The Head of Department
Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected]
6 The Head of Department
Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Email: (none currently)
7 The Head of Department
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
8 The Head of Department
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
9 The Head of Department
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected];
10 Chair of the Scientific Authority
Mr John Donaldson
Email: [email protected]
11Ms Motlalepule Rosho
Email: [email protected]
MEC North West Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
1Ms Sonja Meintjes
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
2Mr Phillemon Mosana
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
CITES INTERNATIONAL contact details below
CITES Secretary General - John Scanlon
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Legal Affairs & Trade Policy - Marceil Yeater –
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Enforcement Support - Ben Janse van Rensburg
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Scientific Services - David Morgan –
Email: [email protected]
Cc: Humbu Mafumo <[email protected]>, Jones Muleso Kharika <[email protected]>, Tebogo Mashua <[email protected]>, Wilma Lutsch <[email protected]> [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]' [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
CITES Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary of Protest Complaints.
CANNED HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA – A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
We hope that once you have read our message, you will be motivated to do what you can to bring the canned hunting of lions and other captive-bred predators in SA to an end.
WHAT IS CANNED HUNTING?
Canned hunting is the lion farmer and trophy collector’s substitute for real hunting. We define it as:
Any hunt where the target animal is unfairly prevented from escaping the hunter, either by physical constraints (fencing ) or by mental constraints (hand reared, habituated to humans).
On this definition, all hunts of captive – bred lions are canned hunts.
SOME SALIENT FACTS:
1. Numbers of lions being captive-bred in S.A. are growing by the day. Latest estimate; 8000 – nearly three times more than the number of wild lions in S.A. Reserves, that number less than 3000.
2. Foreign hunters are mostly from U.S.A. (+/-55%) or Europe (+/-40%)
3. Lion farming does not fall under the Department of Agriculture but the Supreme Court has ruled that it has nothing to do with conservation, so it cannot be regulated by conservation officials either. Lion farming thus falls between two government departments. In consequence, captive predators bred for hunting purposes have no regulatory protection.
4. Lion Bones are sold to known Asian crime syndicates who pay lion farmers US$1,000 for a lion carcass, which is processed in Asia and then fraudulently sold as tiger bone cake for US$70,000 per carcase (US$1000 per 100 grams).
5. Approx 1,000 lions are canned hunted annually in S.A. – about 3 per day. (same as the number of poached Rhino)
WHY SHOULD THIS INDUSTRY BE BANNED?
1. It is cruel. The whole business model is based on cruelty to helpless animals from birth until death. Bow hunting of tame lions is permitted in some provinces. Imagine the public outcry if farmers allowed hunters to come on to livestock farms and shoot sheep and cattle for sport?
2. It is causing a backlash against tourism to South Africa. Ethical tourists are already boycotting SA, causing losses to the legitimate tourism industry. These boycotts will surely increase over time.
3. It is illegal, but no one enforces the laws against such cruelty. The Animals Protection Act of 1962 covers cruelty to captive wild animals; not only cruelty to livestock and domestic animals.
4. It is a wasteful use of land and resources for no public benefit outside the narrow commercial interests of the hunting industry.
5. Private deals with rich foreigners give plenty of opportunities to unscrupulous soldiers of fortune for fraud and foreign currency swindles. Forensic audits need to be conducted across the industry, to protect the fiscus.
6. It is fraudulent at so many levels, right down to the sale of lion bones as tiger bone wine or cake, that have no proven medicinal value.
7. It is a massive and increasing threat to the survival of wild lion populations in Africa. The astronomical profits being made by the Asian profiteers out of lion bones are stimulating an increase in the price of lion bone, which will, in turn, stimulate an increase in the poaching of lions for their bones.
8. Already there are reports in the media about wild lions being killed in Boswana to obtain cubs which are then smuggled across the border in to S.A. Unscrupulous S.A. lion breeders will buy them to bring fresh blood in to their lion stock for genetic reasons, and to ward off captivity depression. This wholesale and unscientific killing of lions has long term effects on wild prides, destroying the core pride function. Research shows that it can take as long as seven years for a lion pride to re-establish itself after the death of the trophy male.
On www.cannedlion.org you’ll find all you need to know about canned hunting, with a selection of relevant TV videos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South African Government Email addresses
We have put all these email addresses in a block above for your convenience to copy and paste into your email.
Ms Olga Kumalo
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Mr Mpho Tjiane
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
1 The Chief Executive: CapeNature
Fauna, Flora, CITES & Hunting
No captive breeding of lions takes place in Western Cape province, so no need for protest letters here (not on this issue, anyway)
Web: http://www.capenature.co.za
2 The Chief Executive Officer
KwaZulu Natal Wildlife
Email: [email protected];
3 The Chief Executive Officer
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency
Email: [email protected];
4 The Head of Department
Free State Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
5 The Head of Department
Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected]
6 The Head of Department
Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Email: (none currently)
7 The Head of Department
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
8 The Head of Department
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
9 The Head of Department
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected];
10 Chair of the Scientific Authority
Mr John Donaldson
Email: [email protected]
11Ms Motlalepule Rosho
Email: [email protected]
MEC North West Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
1Ms Sonja Meintjes
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
2Mr Phillemon Mosana
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
CITES INTERNATIONAL contact details below
CITES Secretary General - John Scanlon
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Legal Affairs & Trade Policy - Marceil Yeater –
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Enforcement Support - Ben Janse van Rensburg
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Scientific Services - David Morgan –
Email: [email protected]
Angry at being told that the cruelty is only sustainable use when I can see that it is sustained abuse. Must we all swallow the lie that the only way to save African wildlife is by killing animals?
I’m angry about the pampered trophy hunters who come to SA for no other reason than to torture and kill hand reared lions.
Angry about lion farmers who breed lions for no other reason than to provide tame targets to be executed by sadistic killers.
And I’m angry about tourists who are being duped into feeding the canned hunting industry through cub petting.
Angry that volunteers are being misled to work at lion farms that pose as wildlife sanctuaries.
I’m also tired of being told that hunters only want to kill lions to help the impoverished masses in Africa. Let them donate money if that is a real concern.
And here is CITES standing by watching while Africa’s wildlife heritage collapses in front of our eyes. CITES is supposed to control the international trade in wild animals. Instead, it facilitates wildlife trafficking by ignoring the many loop holes.
I see how the hunting industry has invaded and occupied conservation space, in order to pervert conservation policies. How moral outrage is cunningly deflected with slick public relations. How hunters have paralysed conservation structures in SA. And made preservation a dirty word.
And so it is up to us to fight for change.
I want to thank you all for coming out today and showing the world that we care. But this is only the first step. I need you to do more.
Boycott all tourism facilities in SA that offer cub petting. And persuade your own tourism agencies to promote only ethical tourism to Africa.
We want your tourism dollars to become a force for good in Africa; not a force for evil.
See all SA conservation authorities e-mail addresses below.
Write protest letters, using the information provided in the Summary below:
- ask the SA government to ban lion farming and trophy hunting;
- lobby the European Commission to ban the import of trophies;
- write to US Fish and Wildlife calling on it to raise the status of lions to ‘endangered.’ That would stop the import of lion trophies there.
Our wildlife is being victimised and our heritage destroyed.
We have the power to save African wildlife; although it will not be easy. The hunting fraternity is rich and powerful. But as long as each and every one of us takes on this fight, there is hope.
Call to Action
We would like to ask everyone around the world to help us bring the cruelty, to lions born in captivity for hunting purposes, to an end.
1. Write emails to the SA government officials - emails below, asking for a ban on lion farming.
2. If you live in the USA write to US Fish and Wildlife demanding that they raise the status of all lions, both wild and captive bred, to endangered this will prevent hunters from being able to import lion trophies and thereby bring lion hunting to an end for US hunters.
3. If you live in the European Union write to you MEP asking them to lobby the EU Secretariat for a ban on all lion trophies being imported into the EU.
4. In any other country contact your local MP and ask him to work for a ban on the import of lion trophies and any other body parts.
5. Refrain from cub petting and spread the word via your social media to expose not only the cruelty involved in cub petting but the fact that it is a profitable spin off for lion farmers which enhances the profits of the canned hunting industry. Every cub petted is a lion that will be shot.
6. Refrain from walking with lions for the same reason.
Protest letters
We hope that you will write emails to all those involved with making decisions about the fate of our lions. The list of government and CITES officials is below for your information. Here are all the relevant email addresses in separate blocks so that you can just copy and past them into an email. You are welcome to use our march speech above.
Below are email addresses for SA Government departments, Managed wild lions and captive breeders.
South African Government Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Wild managed lions and breeders
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]' [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; d[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
CITES Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary of Protest Complaints.
CANNED HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA – A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
We hope that once you have read our message, you will be motivated to do what you can to bring the canned hunting of lions and other captive-bred predators in SA to an end.
WHAT IS CANNED HUNTING?
Canned hunting is the lion farmer and trophy collector’s substitute for real hunting. We define it as:
Any hunt where the target animal is unfairly prevented from escaping the hunter, either by physical constraints (fencing ) or by mental constraints (hand reared, habituated to humans).
On this definition, all hunts of captive – bred lions are canned hunts.
SOME SALIENT FACTS:
1. Numbers of lions being captive-bred in S.A. are growing by the day. Latest estimate; 8000 – nearly three times more than the number of wild lions in S.A. Reserves, that number less than 3000.
2. Foreign hunters are mostly from U.S.A. (+/-55%) or Europe (+/-40%)
3. Lion farming does not fall under the Department of Agriculture but the Supreme Court has ruled that it has nothing to do with conservation, so it cannot be regulated by conservation officials either. Lion farming thus falls between two government departments. In consequence, captive predators bred for hunting purposes have no regulatory protection.
4. Lion Bones are sold to known Asian crime syndicates who pay lion farmers US$1,000 for a lion carcass, which is processed in Asia and then fraudulently sold as tiger bone cake for US$70,000 per carcase (US$1000 per 100 grams).
5. Approx 1,000 lions are canned hunted annually in S.A. – about 3 per day. (same as the number of poached Rhino)
WHY SHOULD THIS INDUSTRY BE BANNED?
1. It is cruel. The whole business model is based on cruelty to helpless animals from birth until death. Bow hunting of tame lions is permitted in some provinces. Imagine the public outcry if farmers allowed hunters to come on to livestock farms and shoot sheep and cattle for sport?
2. It is causing a backlash against tourism to South Africa. Ethical tourists are already boycotting SA, causing losses to the legitimate tourism industry. These boycotts will surely increase over time.
3. It is illegal, but no one enforces the laws against such cruelty. The Animals Protection Act of 1962 covers cruelty to captive wild animals; not only cruelty to livestock and domestic animals.
4. It is a wasteful use of land and resources for no public benefit outside the narrow commercial interests of the hunting industry.
5. Private deals with rich foreigners give plenty of opportunities to unscrupulous soldiers of fortune for fraud and foreign currency swindles. Forensic audits need to be conducted across the industry, to protect the fiscus.
6. It is fraudulent at so many levels, right down to the sale of lion bones as tiger bone wine or cake, that have no proven medicinal value.
7. It is a massive and increasing threat to the survival of wild lion populations in Africa. The astronomical profits being made by the Asian profiteers out of lion bones are stimulating an increase in the price of lion bone, which will, in turn, stimulate an increase in the poaching of lions for their bones.
8. Already there are reports in the media about wild lions being killed in Boswana to obtain cubs which are then smuggled across the border in to S.A. Unscrupulous S.A. lion breeders will buy them to bring fresh blood in to their lion stock for genetic reasons, and to ward off captivity depression. This wholesale and unscientific killing of lions has long term effects on wild prides, destroying the core pride function. Research shows that it can take as long as seven years for a lion pride to re-establish itself after the death of the trophy male.
On www.cannedlion.org you’ll find all you need to know about canned hunting, with a selection of relevant TV videos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South African Government Email addresses
We have put all these email addresses in a block above for your convenience to copy and paste into your email.
Ms Olga Kumalo
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Mr Mpho Tjiane
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
1 The Chief Executive: CapeNature
Fauna, Flora, CITES & Hunting
No captive breeding of lions takes place in Western Cape province, so no need for protest letters here (not on this issue, anyway)
Web: http://www.capenature.co.za
2 The Chief Executive Officer
KwaZulu Natal Wildlife
Email: [email protected];
3 The Chief Executive Officer
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency
Email: [email protected];
4 The Head of Department
Free State Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
5 The Head of Department
Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected]
6 The Head of Department
Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Email: (none currently)
7 The Head of Department
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
8 The Head of Department
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
9 The Head of Department
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected];
10 Chair of the Scientific Authority
Mr John Donaldson
Email: [email protected]
11Ms Motlalepule Rosho
Email: [email protected]
MEC North West Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
1Ms Sonja Meintjes
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
2Mr Phillemon Mosana
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
CITES INTERNATIONAL contact details below
CITES Secretary General - John Scanlon
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Legal Affairs & Trade Policy - Marceil Yeater –
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Enforcement Support - Ben Janse van Rensburg
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Scientific Services - David Morgan –
Email: [email protected]
Cc: Humbu Mafumo <[email protected]>, Jones Muleso Kharika <[email protected]>, Tebogo Mashua <[email protected]>, Wilma Lutsch <[email protected]> [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]' [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
CITES Departments
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary of Protest Complaints.
CANNED HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA – A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
We hope that once you have read our message, you will be motivated to do what you can to bring the canned hunting of lions and other captive-bred predators in SA to an end.
WHAT IS CANNED HUNTING?
Canned hunting is the lion farmer and trophy collector’s substitute for real hunting. We define it as:
Any hunt where the target animal is unfairly prevented from escaping the hunter, either by physical constraints (fencing ) or by mental constraints (hand reared, habituated to humans).
On this definition, all hunts of captive – bred lions are canned hunts.
SOME SALIENT FACTS:
1. Numbers of lions being captive-bred in S.A. are growing by the day. Latest estimate; 8000 – nearly three times more than the number of wild lions in S.A. Reserves, that number less than 3000.
2. Foreign hunters are mostly from U.S.A. (+/-55%) or Europe (+/-40%)
3. Lion farming does not fall under the Department of Agriculture but the Supreme Court has ruled that it has nothing to do with conservation, so it cannot be regulated by conservation officials either. Lion farming thus falls between two government departments. In consequence, captive predators bred for hunting purposes have no regulatory protection.
4. Lion Bones are sold to known Asian crime syndicates who pay lion farmers US$1,000 for a lion carcass, which is processed in Asia and then fraudulently sold as tiger bone cake for US$70,000 per carcase (US$1000 per 100 grams).
5. Approx 1,000 lions are canned hunted annually in S.A. – about 3 per day. (same as the number of poached Rhino)
WHY SHOULD THIS INDUSTRY BE BANNED?
1. It is cruel. The whole business model is based on cruelty to helpless animals from birth until death. Bow hunting of tame lions is permitted in some provinces. Imagine the public outcry if farmers allowed hunters to come on to livestock farms and shoot sheep and cattle for sport?
2. It is causing a backlash against tourism to South Africa. Ethical tourists are already boycotting SA, causing losses to the legitimate tourism industry. These boycotts will surely increase over time.
3. It is illegal, but no one enforces the laws against such cruelty. The Animals Protection Act of 1962 covers cruelty to captive wild animals; not only cruelty to livestock and domestic animals.
4. It is a wasteful use of land and resources for no public benefit outside the narrow commercial interests of the hunting industry.
5. Private deals with rich foreigners give plenty of opportunities to unscrupulous soldiers of fortune for fraud and foreign currency swindles. Forensic audits need to be conducted across the industry, to protect the fiscus.
6. It is fraudulent at so many levels, right down to the sale of lion bones as tiger bone wine or cake, that have no proven medicinal value.
7. It is a massive and increasing threat to the survival of wild lion populations in Africa. The astronomical profits being made by the Asian profiteers out of lion bones are stimulating an increase in the price of lion bone, which will, in turn, stimulate an increase in the poaching of lions for their bones.
8. Already there are reports in the media about wild lions being killed in Boswana to obtain cubs which are then smuggled across the border in to S.A. Unscrupulous S.A. lion breeders will buy them to bring fresh blood in to their lion stock for genetic reasons, and to ward off captivity depression. This wholesale and unscientific killing of lions has long term effects on wild prides, destroying the core pride function. Research shows that it can take as long as seven years for a lion pride to re-establish itself after the death of the trophy male.
On www.cannedlion.org you’ll find all you need to know about canned hunting, with a selection of relevant TV videos.
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South African Government Email addresses
We have put all these email addresses in a block above for your convenience to copy and paste into your email.
Ms Olga Kumalo
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Mr Mpho Tjiane
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
1 The Chief Executive: CapeNature
Fauna, Flora, CITES & Hunting
No captive breeding of lions takes place in Western Cape province, so no need for protest letters here (not on this issue, anyway)
Web: http://www.capenature.co.za
2 The Chief Executive Officer
KwaZulu Natal Wildlife
Email: [email protected];
3 The Chief Executive Officer
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency
Email: [email protected];
4 The Head of Department
Free State Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
5 The Head of Department
Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected]
6 The Head of Department
Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Email: (none currently)
7 The Head of Department
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
8 The Head of Department
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism
Email: [email protected]
9 The Head of Department
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Email: [email protected];
10 Chair of the Scientific Authority
Mr John Donaldson
Email: [email protected]
11Ms Motlalepule Rosho
Email: [email protected]
MEC North West Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
1Ms Sonja Meintjes
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
2Mr Phillemon Mosana
Department of Environmental Affairs
Email: [email protected]
CITES INTERNATIONAL contact details below
CITES Secretary General - John Scanlon
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Legal Affairs & Trade Policy - Marceil Yeater –
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Enforcement Support - Ben Janse van Rensburg
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Scientific Services - David Morgan –
Email: [email protected]