End of lion breeding in captivity ?

[100ponder]

I am sure most reading this thread will by now be aware of the current discussions in regard of the future of captive lions in South Africa,

I am also sure most readers will have their own opinions on this matter.

I Googled to see how strong lion populations are and according to www.panthers.org their are approx 20 000 in the wild globally.

On several occasions this morning listening to the radion station RSG the figure of 12 000 was mentioned for the total approx number of captive lions in South Africa.

Now, according to the news of the day the RSA government is steaming ahead to ban lion breading in captivity.

All the above equates the the South African government is planning to remove some 12 000 lions (37.5% of all living lions) from this planet.

Will this go down as the greatest conservation blunder ever ?

[Klipspringer]

Captive lions do not contribute to conservation

[Lisbeth]

The lions bred in captivity will end their miserable lives, or being shot in canned hunting or killed for their bones to be exported to Asia, as they have run out of tigers. There is no way that captive-bred lions have a place in conservation.

[Richprins]

Personally I think there is no harm in having a lion breeding population that earns money, and also contributes to the gene pool if releases are required in future!

They breed like rats and are not really endangered in Sourthern Africa.

[Lisbeth]

I'd be careful talking about the gene pool. I am convinced that when it comes to lion breeding in captivity, they do not care much about that point and knowing how the poor animals are treated, it's great news that this practice is going to end.

[Klipspringer]

Don't confuse two different things

Captive breeding to produce animals for commercial purposes (pets, food, fibre, muti, medicine, and other human uses) is not the same as breeding to increase captive population numbers of threatened or endangered species as part of a management programme aimed at eventually reintroducing captive-bred animals into wild habitats and populations.
Only the latter may produce animals suitable for reintroduction.


I am not convinced though that the lion breeding will end. It will be very difficult to think up a legally not questionable legislation to outright ban a commercial activity if lion breeding can be done humanely (which of course can be done as much humanely as is the case with any other kind of breeding animals). This is most likely not defensible constitutionally.

Would it be possible for instance to ban parrot breeding

[Richprins]

Or cow breeding?

[Lisbeth]

A cow is not a wild animal

[Richprins]

So?

[100ponder]

The total 2021 population of the Northern White Rhinoceros stands at TWO (2) FEMALES ! ! !

Now we all who are involved in any form of conservation are directly to be blamed for allowing them to go extinct right under our noses while we argue for or against hunting, how some with no sense of hunting think hunters should behave - the list goes on.

If there was only ONE instance of captive breading of the Northern White Rhinoceros our children will not have reason to point fingers at us for preaching conservation but not practising what we preached.

So let us not continue to take short term decisions which will later-on be to the detriment of what we actually plan to protect.