South Africa’s Lion Conservation Efforts Go Up in Flames

Key Takeaways:

• The captive lion breeding industry in South Africa is a highly contested and emotive issue, with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 lions living behind fences on breeding farms.
• A government process to phase out captive lion breeding has been destabilized by the sudden removal of a minister who backed animal wellbeing reforms and the installation of a new minister aligned with breeders and hunters.
• The incineration of 42 lion skeletons, owned by a dealer who had bought them from a lion farmer, was a symbolic and emotional event that highlighted the need to end the industry.
• The burn was witnessed by provincial government officials, NGOs, and Lord Michael Ashcroft, who has been a vocal opponent of captive lion breeding and has written a book on the subject.
• The industry is seen as having no value except for the profit motive of a few unscrupulous operators, and the welfare of the lions is a major concern.

Introduction to the Issue
The incineration of 42 lion skeletons in a Gauteng incinerator was a dramatic and symbolic event that highlighted the need to end the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa. The event was witnessed by provincial government officials, NGOs, and Lord Michael Ashcroft, who has been a vocal opponent of captive lion breeding. The burn was a stark reminder that in a humane society, dead lions should have zero value, and that the industry is driven by the profit motive of a few unscrupulous operators.

The Industry’s Dark Reality
The captive lion breeding industry is a highly contested and emotive issue, with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 lions living behind fences on breeding farms across South Africa. The industry is seen as having no value except for the profit motive of a few unscrupulous operators, and the welfare of the lions is a major concern. The export quota for lion bones was stopped in 2019, and the remains of the animals had stayed on the property of a dealer, Kobus Steyn, for seven years. Steyn had bought the bones from a lion farmer in the hope of selling them at a profit, but eventually decided to incinerate them due to the moral weight of the industry.

A Government Process in Jeopardy
A government process to phase out captive lion breeding has been destabilized by the sudden removal of a minister who backed animal wellbeing reforms and the installation of a new minister aligned with breeders and hunters. The new minister has cancelled the task team’s term, and the reform agenda is now uncertain. The task team had made significant progress in crafting a voluntary exit pathway for breeders, legislative reform, and formal prohibition notices. However, the return of industry-aligned leadership poses a danger to the progress made, and the future of the reform agenda is uncertain.

The Burn’s Significance
The burn was a symbolic event that signified the intersection of politics, ethics, and public pressure. It was a reminder that lion bones have no value except to a living lion, and that the industry is driven by cruelty and brutality. The burn was also a repudiation of the cruelty and brutality inherent in the conditions of captive-bred lions. The value of a lion lies in its life, not in its bones, and the burn affirmed this principle. The event was a rallying point for those who have been working to shut down the industry, and it highlighted the need for continued pressure and strategy to achieve this goal.

The Road Ahead
The burn marked a turning point in the campaign to end the captive lion breeding industry. It highlighted the need for continued pressure and strategy to achieve this goal, and it affirmed the principle that the value of a lion lies in its life, not in its bones. The coalition for change is broad, experienced, and resolute, and it will not be undone quietly. The burn was a reminder that years of expert work, cross-party engagement, and public pressure will not be undone quietly, and that the industry will not be allowed to continue without a fight. The future of the reform agenda is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the value of a lion lies in its life, not in its bones, and the industry must be brought to an end.