Cape Town, 2 May 2023. Two years have passed since the South African Department for Forestry, Fisheries and Environment announced its intention to phase out the captive lion industry. Progress has been slow and there are fears the government is showing signs of not knowing how to deliver the phase out, says FOUR PAWS, a global animal welfare organisation that reveals animal suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them.  

The captive lion industry in South Africa is a multimillion-dollar industry where an estimated 12,000 lions are kept in captivity and bred for financial gain. In every stage of their lives they are used for profit, whether it’s from tourists petting cubs at predator parks, walking with juvenile and adult lions, taking selfies, canned hunting or trophy hunting and controversially for a lion bone trade. A trade that currently has a moratorium, but farmers have openly stated they stockpile bones in the hope that the ban on bone trade is lifted.

Animal welfare at these facilities, whose primary goal is commercial gain, is often poor to non-existent. Throughout the farms in South Africa there is evidence of the intensive breeding in inhumane, dirty, overcrowded conditions, where the animals are often diseased or even inbred. These have been widely documented throughout the last decade and South Africa has seen its reputation as a leader in conservation, not only tarnished, but FOUR PAWS has stated that the country is the world’s largest exporter of big cats and big cat parts and that South Africa is perpetuating a demand for big cat parts, compromising conservation and enforcement efforts in other parts of the world and across all big cat species.

Barbara Creecy, the Minister of the Department for Forestry and Fisheries and Environment declared at the time of the announcement, two years ago, that “the captive lion breeding industry did not contribute to conservation and was doing damage to South Africa’s conservation and tourism reputation.”

Moreover, according to a recent polling commissioned by FOUR PAWS in 2022, 66% of South Africans do not support big cat farming for commercial purposes and 94% agree that big cats should receive better protection through laws and legislation.

Since the announcement in 2021, the DFFE has established a Ministerial Task Team to identify and recommend voluntary exit options and pathways for facilities in the captive lion industry. On the 14^th of April, the Ministerial Task Team invited participants who would consider a voluntary exit from the captive lion industry, to register their details with the Task Team. In addition, the Task Team called for stakeholder engagement last month where many, including FOUR PAWS, provided information on the topic, though believe progress on the issue has been far too slow. Director of FOUR PAWS in South Africa, Fiona Miles, said, “What people forget, is that the longer the process of the phase out takes, we still have what could be more than 12,000 lions and an unknown number of tigers kept on farms across the country. Many of which are still intensively breeding animals, meaning the problem continues to grow as policy makers stall.  Without an explicit moratorium on breeding, the numbers of lions and tigers enduring this may still be increasing. The reality of this situation is that two years on from the initial announcement and nothing has changed for the big cats on the ground or their protection.”

The issues of the lack of effective regulation for the keeping, breeding and trade of tigers in South Africa, has still to be addressed, with the Task Team not including the species within its remit. FOUR PAWS believes this has far reaching consequences for big cat conservation, globally. “All five big cat species of the Panthera genus are in decline and given that all big cat trade is interconnected, we believe South Africa is contributing to the decline of big cat species globally. It has become an international issue that requires urgent action,” said Ms Miles.  

FOUR PAWS remains optimistic for the future of big cats in South Africa and looks forward to the publishing of the findings of the Ministerial Task Team, but urges the Department for Forestry, Fisheries and Environment and Task Team, to not only expedite their findings into tangible action, but to also broaden their remit to ensure that tigers, and other captive big cat species are included within any phase out. 

FOUR PAWS is currently urging the DFFE, by way of a petition, to end the commercial trade of all  big cat species from South Africa: https://help.four-paws.org/en/ban-commercial-trade-big-cats-south-africa

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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za 

FOUR PAWS’ Break the Vicious Cycle campaign to end the commercial trade of ALL big cats

• #BreakTheViciousCycle campaign page: https://www.four-paws.org.za/campaigns-topics/campaigns/theviciouscycle
• Vicious Cycle Report https://bit.ly/41wPVxT
• Year of the Tiger Report https://bit.ly/4090YMx