Captive Lions /Canned Hunting in SA

[Lisbeth]

Ex-volunteers expose cruelty in the name of big-cat conservation

BY DAWN JORGENSEN - 19TH DECEMBER 2020 - THE SUNDAY TIMES

Two women thought they were helping by hand-rearing cubs, until they learnt some sinister truths. Now their Panthera Africa is a sanctuary for big cats born victim to an exploitative industry

Thousands of lions, tigers, leopards and other species of big cats live out their lives in squalor, but a fortunate few have found sanctuary at Panthera Africa (http://pantheraafrica.com/) outside the quiet village of Stanford in the Cape.

Lizaene Cornwall and Cathrine Nyquist spent years unknowingly volunteering on the dark side of captive-lion breeding. Like many volunteers, they believed they were contributing to the wildlife populations in SA — but they were wrong. Uncovering the truth behind the exploitative industry altered their future path…

Cathrine had travelled from Norway numerous times to volunteer at a breeding facility that hand-reared cheetah, leopard, servals and caracal under the guise of conservation. Her role was caring for the cubs, who she naturally developed a bond with, fundraising to support the efforts and buying into the exaggerated and false narrative that captive breeding facilities too often spin – that she was ‘helping the animals’.

Simultaneously, South African Lizaene was taking a break from corporate life to heed a desire to do good by working at a big cat project in the Free State, hand-raising at least 30 big cats before she started to question the process.

Assured that the cubs she was receiving had been rejected by their mothers at birth, or were orphaned, reality had them forcefully removed and given to paying volunteers tasked with bottle-feeding and nurturing them. Many cubs didn’t make it. This practice ensures females can be bred more regularly, that the cubs become accustomed to being handled and that there is endless opportunity to fuel the illicit million-dollar voluntourism side of the business.

But where did they go once they were grown? An in-depth investigation by Cathrine and Lizaene revealed the horror of crowded cages, minimal shelter, water or food as they found countless lions crowded in the appalling conditions that have become synonymous with captive lion breeding. Skeletal and shamelessly betrayed, most had served their purpose by a year old and were destined to a fate that would see their demise in the captive lion breeding, hunting or bone trade or industry.

Cathrine and Lizaene established Panthera Africa to provide a safe haven for the big cats they had raised, where they’d be nurtured back to health and live out their remaining years. For some of the animals, it was regrettably too late. Panthera Africa currently homes 26 animals – 17 lions, 2 tigers, 2 leopards, 3 caracals, a cheetah and a jackal. All have traumatic background stories.

A TRUE SANCTUARY

A true sanctuary provides a forever home; takes all precautions to avoid breeding; does not buy, sell, loan, exchange animals in their care; and only allows human interaction for veterinary care. Panthera Africa adds to that an undertaking to educate the public, share the individual animal’s stories and create awareness around the condition’s big cats face in captivity. They only offer a morning and afternoon visit to limit exposure to people, do not allow guests at feeding time – as most cats carry residual trauma around food – are committed to enrichment programs, animal communication and prioritising the rescue’s wellbeing.

THE SHOCKING STATISTICS

In August 2019, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries indicated that there were 7,979 captive lions in 366 facilities in South Africa, although it is clear from their floundering contradictions and how they continue to renew permits without inspections, that they have no idea of the extent of the captive big cat industry. Research by Bloodlions.org has estimated 10,000-12,000 lions in 450 facilities, as well as 800–1,000 cheetahs, 1,000–1,500 tigers, 100s of leopards, caracals, servals and exotic species: jaguars, pumas and ligers.

Between 2008 – 2017, South Africa legally exported the following:

• 6,634 lion skeletons for the lion bone trade under CITES weighing a total of 70 tonnes.

• 8,855 lion trophies under CITES with at least 80% captive bred.

• 1,895 live lions under CITES for zoos and breeders overseas with 95% of them captive-bred.

BE THE CHANGE

• Say no to selfies with big cats, cub petting, walking with lions, or any physical interaction with wild animals.

• Help spread the truth about this cruel industry.

• Do not support circuses with wild animals such as lions, tigers, elephants.

• Visit, volunteer or adopt one of the cats at Panthera Africa as a means of supporting their ongoing efforts. An excellent gift this festive season.

• Do extensive research before visiting a facility. Ensure they are not trading, breeding or offering interactions.

• Stand up to governments, organisations and the general public as part of the unified voice that will bring change.

• Visit, volunteer or adopt one of the cats at Panthera Africa in support of their ongoing efforts.

EVERY LIFE MATTERS

Each of the cats at Panthera Africa has a story linked to the depravity of humans, their endless greed and the exploitation of animals so ubiquitous with the shameful – yet legal – captive lion breeding industry. These are some of them.

Obi, Lion

Obi was removed from his mother at a few hours old, his umbilical cord still wet so recently was his birth. Destined to be used as a money-making prop at a cub petting facility, after months of forced interaction with fee-paying tourists and volunteers, at 10 months old Obi was too large for profitable interactions and sent to a breeding farm with his half-brother, Oliver. Here they were subjected to horrific conditions in an enclosure with nine other lions. Obi was skeletal and clinging to life when he was brought to Panthera Africa.

Oliver, White Lion

Oliver was hand-raised from birth with 4 other lions, including Obi, at the project where Cathrine and Lizaene worked, before being transported to a breeding farm. Abandoned to the enclosure with little food or shelter, and left largely to fend for themselves, he was rescued with Obi and nursed back to health at Panthera Africa. Obi and Oliver are the sanctuaries pioneer success stories.

Shani, Lion (deceased)

Growing up with Obi and Oliver, Shani was marked to join them at Panthera Africa in 2015. However, once too old for interactions, cruel fortune saw her traded illegally between breeding facilities across South Africa for years. As Cathrine and Lizaene tirelessly searched for her, they witnessed first-hand the cruelty behind the cub petting, breeding and canned hunting industry, learning that she had been slaughtered for the bone trade in June 2016.

Chaka’s Story – Lion.

Chaka was confiscated from a private household in Johannesburg where he was being kept illegally as a family pet. This is tragically common around the world, with most not as lucky as Chaka who was sent to Panthera Africa in 2017. Too many animals in the illegal pet trade endure inhumane conditions and ultimately untimely death when they grow up and are no longer wanted, which is why Chaka’s story is an important one to share and reminds that lions are not pets.

Panthera Africa plans to be involved in many rescue missions in the future and will continue to push for an end to this cruel and exploitative trade. Visit https://pantheraafrica.com/ for details.



Original article: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-time ... servation/

[Lisbeth]

MAN FACING JAIL IN SLOVAKIA FOR ILLICITLY IMPORTING ‘CANNED’ TIGER TROPHY

BY STEVEN WIGGINS - 27TH JANUARY 2021 - IWBBOND.ORG



Flemming Emil Hanson (Zenger, 26 January 2021) reports that “A hunter is facing up to five years in jail for killing an endangered tiger in South Africa, importing it to Slovakia” and then using it “in violation of the law to promote business activities in connection with the mediation of hunting in the Republic of South Africa” (Slovakian Police fb Page – 19 January 2021):

“He [Jan K] illegally caught and imported a tiger from the Republic of South Africa: he faces up to five years in prison.

The investigator of the Department for Detection of Hazardous Substances and Environmental Crime of the Criminal Police Bureau of the Presidium of the Slovak Police Force accused Jan K. from the village of Žiharec in the Šaľa district, south of Slovakia, of violating plant and animal protection under Section 305 of the Criminal Code because he has caught the jungle tiger (Panthera tigris) for commercial purposes in South Africa contrary to Council Regulation (EC) no. 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein [which includes threats posed to wild species from captive breeding activities of course, tiger (Panthera tigris) being an EU Annex A/CITES Appendix I listed species – the highest categorisation available and listed as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List].

Subsequently in violation of Council Regulation no. 338/97 he had imported it into the territory of the Slovak Republic without the relevant import permit issued by the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic and kept it in a family house without being able to prove the method of its acquisition.

At the same time, he used the tiger in violation of the law to promote business activities in connection with the mediation of hunting in the Republic of South Africa. The total social value of the jungle tiger specimen was calculated by the Scientific Body of the Slovak Republic of the State Nature Protection of the Slovak Republic at EUR 28,000.

According to Section 305 /Breach of Plant and Animal Species Protection Regulations/ any person who, in breach of generally binding legal regulations on nature and landscape protection, or generally binding legal regulations on specimen protection through the regulation of trade in them on a larger scale, a) acquires for himself or procures for another a protected animal or a protected plant, or to a large extent procures for another their specimen, b) cultivates, breeds, processes, imports or exports protected plants or protected animals, or specimens, or trafficks in them, or otherwise misappropriates them, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of between six months and three years. The offender shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of one to five years if he commits the offence referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 or 3 on a considerable scale“

Of course, the canned/captive breeding of tigers in South Africa has been ignored by South Africa’s Department: Environmental Affairs (DEA) for years – A 2015 TRAFFIC/Wildcru report, “Bones of Contention,” estimated there were at the time 280 tigers in 44 facilities in South Africa:

“Today there are undoubtedly far more, but because tiger breeding doesn’t have to be reported, numbers are hard to establish.

Because they’re not an indigenous species, trade in tigers is unregulated and flying below the radar of the DEA (Department of Environmental Affairs). When asked about it by Ban Animal Trading and the EMS Foundation, the DEA response was that tigers weren’t the department’s responsibility because they’re “exotics”…..Despite welfare issues, cruelty, illegality and violation of conservation principles, South Africa has turned a blind eye to tiger farming. According to the NSPCA, owning a pet tiger is legal in Gauteng and animal welfare groups can do nothing about it.

“Under the Animal Protection Act and the by-laws, we have no grounds to confiscate,” Boksburg SPCA Maggie Mudd told The Citizen newspaper.

“It doesn’t make sense that I need a permit to keep a tortoise but I can keep a tiger”” – “Tiger Breeding in South Africa,” IWB (author: Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick), 23 April 2018

What is not in doubt, is that South Africa is in contravention of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – tigers are being bred in South Africa with commercial intent, not conservation:

“Tiger breeding and export in South Africa appears to violate the country’s commitment to CITES regulations. If tigers are being bred for international trade in establishments without accreditation, it’s in violation of CITES Resolution Conf. 12.10, which requires registration of Appendix I breeding facilities operating for commercial purposes. There’s also CITES [2007] Decision 14.69, which requires such facilities to ‘implement measures to restrict the captive population to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers; tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives’.

And Resolution Conf. 12.5 (Rev. CoP16, [Revised CoP18]) urges those “Parties and non-Parties in whose territories there are facilities keeping tigers and other Asian big cat species in captivity to ensure that adequate management practices and controls are in place and strictly implemented, including for the disposal of Asian big cats that die in captivity, to prevent parts and derivatives from entering illegal trade from or through such facilities“” – Tiger Breeding in South Africa,” IWB (author: Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick), 23 April 2018

Let’s hope that this case focuses international attention on the plight of tigers and other such species bred in captivity for ‘commercial purposes’/exploitation, (which includes the trophy hunting industry despite any claims/exemptions to the contrary):

“South Africa is one the world’s biggest exporters of endangered tigers, almost all of which end up as floor mats, wall hangings or skeletons submerged in vats of Asian tiger-bone wine. The trade is so lucrative that city householders in Gauteng are breeding them in their backyards” – Tiger Breeding in South Africa,” IWB (author: Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick), 23 April 2018

Original article: https://iwbond.org/2021/01/27/man-facin ... er-trophy/

[Lisbeth]

Artificial insemination in captive lions is bad news for conservation

February 26, 2021 | Jackie Abell

It is tempting to believe that technology will save the day when it comes to environmental and wildlife conservation crises. The recent success story of a lion cub, Simba, born at Singapore zoo as a result of artificial insemination, is a case in point.

It was widely reported as a success for wildlife conservation. But presenting accounts of technological success against the backdrop of rapidly diminishing wildlife loss could do more harm than good.

The psychologist Robert Gifford called this “technosalvation” in his 2008 study of psychological barriers. Gifford outlines the psychological and cognitive barriers (what he calls “Dragons of Inaction”) that impede human behaviour in response to challenges like climate change.

phpBB [video]

The argument is simple. While technology has improved our standards of living, overconfidence in its ability to solve complex environmental problems becomes a psychological barrier for human behaviour change. The philosophy that “we don’t need to do anything to save the planet because technology will do it for us” is attractive because it absolves us of responsibility. In other words, it’s a quick fix.

Gifford was writing about human inaction with respect to climate change but I believe technosalvation is also having an effect on conservation.

When Simba the lion cub was born in October 2020 – as a result of artificial insemination – his 20-year-old father, Mufasa, didn’t survive the electro-ejaculation procedure required to extract his semen.

Simba wasn’t the first lion cub bred this way. The world first occurred in September 2018, at Ukutula Conservation Center, in South Africa, with the arrival of Victor and Isabel to similar worldwide press fanfare.

There are scientific and moral arguments for and against this procedure in lions. Lions breed easily in the wild and captivity, when given the opportunity. So why do we need more of them?

Willi Jacobs, owner of Ukutula, responded to a “misunderstanding” on the part of the public about the value of such technological advances. He claimed that their aim was not to increase lion numbers, but to offer a conservational tool to increase numbers of other more endangered cat populations, such as the Scottish wildcat, the Asiatic golden cat and the black-footed cat.

It is difficult to argue against the usefulness of having this particular tool in the conservation toolbox. But what is concerning is that these stories of technological wizardry are reported, or inferred, as success stories for wildlife conservation. And wildlife conservation is oversimplified as a problem of numbers.

Both the Singapore and the Ukutula cases have been framed as such. The events were reported against a backdrop of rapidly diminishing wild lion numbers. And it’s true that according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more than 40% of the wild lion population has disappeared in the last 20 years. Current estimates show wild lion numbers stand between 23,000 and 30,000.


A family of lions. Shutterstock/Teresa Moore

Against this gloomy backdrop, it is tempting to infer that the silver technological bullet in the conservation toolbox will save the day and if numbers get too low of a threatened animal species, science can make more of them. Problem solved.

Dragons and shortcuts

But this is the kind of thinking that feeds the “Dragons of Inaction” Gifford warned of. Psychological research has shown how humans use cognitive shortcuts to simplify their interaction with the world. For example, the frequency, importance and likelihood of events are judged on the basis of how easily they can be brought to mind.

So humans are selective. We respond to immediate, highly visible and personal dangers while discounting long term and less visible risks. Humans are essentially short term reactors, rather than long term planners. Consequently, the slow creep of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss was not on our radar. We didn’t notice it quickly enough.

Technology won’t fix the quirks in human behaviour responsible for the drop in wild lion numbers. Quirks including, loss of habitat, loss of prey due to increased competition for space and food with humans, desertification, disease and hunting. All these issues require a change in human behaviour.

Changing the way humans think and behave is fundamental to protecting and restoring wild lion populations. Anything else is a diversion of attention and resources.

So it’s fine to applaud technological advances, such as artificial insemination in lions. But it needs to be seen in context and it needs to be recognised that it is not a success stories for wildlife conservation. The complexity of biodiversity loss – and our collective responsibility for it – needs to be addressed because technosalvation won’t save the day. Changing the way we think and behave, will.

Jackie Abell received funding from Coventry University (2016) for research work on human-wildlife conflict (lions) in Zimbabwe. I am a member of the African Lion Working Group. I'm also a member of the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group.

[Lisbeth]

‘The Sick Five’: Captive lion breeding industry poses public health risk

BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN - 11TH MARCH 2021 - THE SOUTH AFRICAN

The captive lion industry is putting the health of tourists, industry workers and communities at risk because of the so-called ‘Sick Five’.

You’ve heard about the Big Five, but probably not about the “Sick Five” — a frightening package of diseases that goes unchecked in the captive lion breeding industry.

A joint scientific study by Blood Lions and World Animal Protection has highlighted how the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa holds a serious health risk to thousands of tourists, industry workers and communities.

THE ‘SICK FIVE’ OF THE CAPTIVE LION BREEDING INDUSTRY

Blood Lions is an award-winning documentary feature film and global campaign that works to bring an end to predator breeding and “canned” hunting industries in South Africa.

Director Dr Louise de Waal says five major diseases — dubbed the ‘Sick Five’ in its new campaign — have been identified that can cause serious health issues for people.

“These diseases are associated with at least 63 potentially harmful pathogens linked with both wild and captive lions, as identified in our peer-reviewed paper.”

De Waal said underestimating the impact of these pathogens and the associated diseases could lead to future epidemics with reductions in life expectancy, increased child and maternal death, and serious socio-economic consequences.

WHAT ARE THE ‘SICK FIVE’?

The Sick Five are Human Ehrlichiosis, Human Babesiosis, African Sleeping Sickness, Toxocariasis and Trichinosis.

The first two are tick-borne diseases, where the bacteria and parasite respectively are transmitted from animals to people by ticks. Toxocariasis and Trichinosis parasites are transmitted more directly to humans, the former by handling faeces-contaminated soil, for instance. Trichinosis has a direct animal-human transmission.

African Sleeping Sickness (Trypanosomiasis) is caused by a parasite transmitted by the tsetse fly and is listed as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Over the last century, this disease has caused several epidemics in Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA’S CAPTIVE LION BREEDING SHAME



South Africa’s commercial lion farms are frequently plagued by disease. Image: Pippa Hankinson/Bloodlions.org
In South Africa, more than 8,000 lions are bred and kept on commercial farms for tourism activities, captive hunting, the bone trade and live exports.

These wildlife farms can be a hot-bed for diseases, especially when poor hygiene, poor diet and other stresses associated with captivity weaken the animals’ immune system. These issues were highlighted as common on South Africa’s commercial lion farms in a recent NSPCA report.

Additionally, contagious diseases can spread rapidly when large numbers, and sometimes even different species, of wild animals are kept in the same enclosures, as this increases the risk of transmission.

CAPTIVE LION BREEDING INDUSTRY IS POORLY REGULATED

Despite the large number of lions bred in captivity in South Africa and the long list of diseases affecting them, the researchers did not find any scientific studies investigating health and diseases on commercial lion farms here in South Africa.

Without this information it is impossible to effectively prevent, monitor or manage potential health risks on these farms, particularly considering this industry is poorly regulated and animal welfare enforcement lies with the NSPCA only.

“Our research identified substantial gaps in our knowledge base concerning the captive lion breeding industry in South Africa, which can have huge health implications for tourists interacting with lions, farm staff caring for the animals, taxidermists preparing the trophies, and slaughterhouse workers killing lions and preparing their skeletons,”, De Waal said.

BLOOD LIONS’ CALLS TO ACTION

To avoid potential health risks and future pandemics, the Blood Lions’ “Sick 5” campaign focusses on three major calls to action:

• Asking the public to stop interacting with captive wildlife – an industry condemned by global conservation authorities and tourism leaders;

• Urging the South Africa’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) to set a zero Cites lion bone export quota; and

• Calling on the WHO to curb the global wildlife trade.

Original article: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifesty ... ood-lions/

[Richprins]

A new angle. Humans are quite capable of resisting infection, ironically.

[Lisbeth]

An angle to be used to stop people playing with cubs and walking with lions

[Lisbeth]

Captive lions kept in ‘stressful conditions’ create perfect recipe for disease, experts say

by Elizabeth Claire Alberts on 8 April 2021

• Researchers have identified that captive and wild lions carry 63 pathogens that could result in about 83 diseases and clinical symptoms.

• Drawing on this research, conservationists have named five diseases that have the potential to spill over into the human population and impact public health: human ehrlichiosis, human babesiosis, toxocariasis, trichinosis, and African sleeping sickness.

• Animal welfare advocates say that captive lion facilities in South Africa tend to keep lions in unsanitary, stressful conditions that provide the perfect environment for disease.

• With this in mind, conservationists are advocating for the South African government to shut down the captive lion industry.

In 2019, animal welfare inspectors visited Pienika Farm, a captive-lion facility in the North West province of South Africa. They found sick lion after sick lion living in conditions inspectors described as “horrific.” Twenty-seven animals were severely infected with mange, a condition caused by parasitic mites, while cubs twitched in the dirt, suffering from neurological disorders. Dozens of lions were crammed into cages meant only to hold a few. Rotting food and feces littered the ground.

These are the ideal conditions for pathogens to grow and spread, resulting in disease, says Louise de Waal, a wildlife conservationist and one of the directors of Blood Lions, a nonprofit organization launched after the release of the 2015 film Blood Lions. The spread of disease is not only dangerous for the lions (Panthera leo) themselves, she said, but there is a possibility that disease could spill over into the human population, threatening human health and even triggering future epidemics.

According to a recent peer-reviewed paper co-authored by De Waal and other experts from Blood Lions and World Animal Protection, captive and wild lions are known to carry a total of 63 pathogens — including parasites, bacteria and viruses — and these can result in about 83 diseases and clinical symptoms. Some of these pathogens can be transmitted from lions to other species, including humans, the research says.


A captive lion with no fur on its nose due to mange. Image by Louise de Waal.

The Blood Lions team has identified five diseases as being the most dangerous ones to humans: human ehrlichiosis, human babesiosis, toxocariasis, trichinosis, and African sleeping sickness.

The first two are tick-borne diseases and can spread to humans if an infected tick jumps from a lion to a person. The second two are spread through parasitic roundworms, and transmission can occur if a human comes into contact with contaminated soil or ingests raw and undercooked meat. The last disease, African sleeping sickness, also known as trypanosomiasis, is transmitted through tsetse flies. It’s also listed as a “Neglected Tropical Disease” by the World Health Organization, which means that it isn’t necessarily viewed as a health priority even though it’s caused several epidemics across Africa, primarily among economically disadvantaged populations.

While none of these diseases have been known to transfer from lions to humans, De Waal says there’s always a chance it can happen, especially given the proximity between lions and humans at farms such as Pienika Farm.

“It’s an industry that promotes very close contact between animals and people,” De Waal told Mongabay in an interview.

Many captive-lion facilities cater to tourists who want to experience “lion petting” or “walking with lions.” Others are set up as “canned” hunting parks, creating artificial conditions that pretty much guarantee that visitors can kill a lion and take home a trophy. Then there are breeding or holding facilities where lions are raised for tourism purposes, and killed for their skins, meat and other body parts, including skeletons, which are prized in the traditional Chinese medicine market.

There are many possible points of contact, De Waal says, from the people who clean the camps, feed the lions, and provide veterinary care, to those who slaughter the lions and prepare their skins, meat and skeletons for export. Then there are the tourists themselves.

At some farms, lions are kept close to other animals, such as leopards, tigers and jaguars, De Waal says.

The Lion Coalition, an alliance of several animal welfare and conservation groups, including Blood Lions, says that bovine tuberculosis, documented in both captive and wild lions, could also transfer between lions and humans. In an open letter to the WHO published last year, the coalition recommends shutting down captive-lion farms, as well as wildlife markets and other wild animal facilities, to minimize the risk of disease.


Lions in a small enclosure with unhygienic conditions. Image by Blood Lions.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we should not underestimate these zoonotic diseases, especially with viruses — they can so easily mutate,” De Waal said.

Around 366 facilities are holding 8,000 lions in South Africa, according to official government estimates. But De Waal says there are probably closer to 450 facilities, holding up to 12,000 lions across the country.

“There’s never been a full audit of the industry,” De Waal said. “And those numbers are in a continuous state of flux, because these animals are being transferred from one breeder to the next. They are being killed in a hunt, they are killed for their bones.”

While conditions vary from facility to facility, animal welfare tends not to be a top concern at many places, De Waal says. Between 2016 and 2017, the NSPCA Wildlife Protection Unit inspected 95 lion breeding and holding facilities across the country, and found nearly half of them to be keeping lions in substandard conditions, according to a confidential report. The primary concerns were inadequate enclosures, hygiene, diets, enrichment activities, and a lack of veterinary care for injured or sick lions. Inspectors issued 32 of these facilities with non-compliance welfare notices, and another 18 got warnings related to the Animal Protection Act.

De Waal says it’s also common for cubs to be immediately taken away from their mothers and fed cow’s milk or formula, which isn’t suitable for lions and sets them up for a lifetime of poor health.

“The conditions are very stressful,” she said. “We’re dealing with animals with compromised immune systems, and those are the ideal conditions [in which] pathogens can jump. That is what we’ve seen with the COVID situation as well, where a pathogen was transmitted from a bat to another mammal.”


A captive lion with untreated mange, a parasitic skin disease. Image courtesy of Blood Lions.

On March 30, the WHO released a highly anticipated report that identifies wildlife farms in China as the likely origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that started the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s a genuinely existential threat posed to us by the way we currently treat wildlife, especially through the trade,” Niall McCann, director of conservation for National Park Rescue and rotating chair of EndPandemics, an alliance of groups working together to reduce future pandemic risk, told Mongabay in an interview.

Transmission risk between lions and humans is perceived to be lower than it would be between humans and species like minks, pigs, wildfowl and other primates, but it’s not negligible, McCann said.

“In my opinion, the risk is low, but the risk is there,” he said. “The conditions under which many of these lions are kept are precisely the types of conditions that encourage the shedding of virus, and therefore, the spillover of zoonotic disease.

“What we do know is that keeping animals in unnaturally cramped conditions that are unsanitary and highly stressful situations encourages immunosuppression, so you’re encouraging disease in those individuals,” he added.

De Waal says she thinks it’s the right time for South Africa to reassess its captive-lion industry, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought captive-lion tourism to a standstill. For the last couple of years, there has also been no lion bone quota after South Africa’s High Court ruled that the 2017 quota of 800 lion bones and the 2018 quota of 1,500 lion bones were unlawful and unconstitutional.

“This industry is pretty much on their knees,” De Waal said. “So if ever there was a good time to put an end to this industry, it’s now, rather than allowing for this industry to recover.”

Citation:

Green, J., Jakins, C., Asfaw, E., Bruschi, N., Parker, A., De Waal, L., & D’Cruze, N. (2020). African lions and zoonotic diseases: Implications for commercial lion farms in South Africa. Animals, 10(9), 1692. doi:10.3390/ani10091692

Banner image caption: Same age cubs at breeding farm in South Africa. Image by Blood Lions.

Elizabeth Claire Alberts is a staff writer for Mongabay. Follow her on Twitter @ECAlberts.

[Lisbeth]

The Vicious cycle

BY FOUR PAWS - MARCH 2021 - FOUR PAWS

A review of the exploitation of South Africa’s captive big cats and its people.



Click on the title for the whole review.

[Lisbeth]

SHOCKING! 30 captive lions euthanised in one of the most HORRIFIC animal cruelty cases in SA

WARNING! GRAPHIC CONTENT! The lions had severe lung damage that they started to drown in their blood. The heat of the fire caused a lion’s eyes to burst.

by Corne van Zyl 04-10-2021

In what has been described as one of the worst animal cruelty cases reported in the history of South Africa, a total of 30 captive lions had to be euthanised at a lion breeding farm in the Free State.

THE HEAT OF THE FIRE CAUSED A LION’S EYES TO BURST

This comes after the farm owner apparently left the lions suffering for days after wildfires had ravaged the area.

During the recent wildfires in a large area of the Free State, the Bloemfontein SPCA was at the forefront to assist the farmers with injured animals and end the brutal suffering.

Senior Inspector Reinet Meyer at the Bloemfontein SPCA said what they found at the captive lion breeding farm in the Glen/Brandfort district shocked them to the bone.

• “We saw that the lions couldn’t escape the blazing fires, and the inhalation of smothering fumes was evident. The lions didn’t move. They all laid in one spot with their paws turned upwards.
  
  “Their fragile bodies were burnt, and their faces carried the devastating scars of the flames just days ago. Three male Lions, the supposed to be Kings of the Jungle, in one of the camps, couldn’t stand at all. As they attempted to get up, they simply collapsed over and over. One cannot begin to comprehend the pain these lions were in.”
  
  “We saw that the lions couldn’t escape the blazing fires and the inhalation of smothering fumes was evident. The lions didn’t move. They all laid in one spot with their paws turned upwards.
  
  “Their fragile bodies were burnt, and their faces carried the devastating scars of the flames just days ago. Three male Lions, the supposed to be Kings of the Jungle, in one of the camps, couldn’t stand at all. As they attempted to get up, they simply collapsed over and over. One cannot begin to comprehend the pain these lions were in.”

Meyer said after the veterinarian sedated the lions to assess the level of injuries, they were horrified to see the severity of the injuries.

• “The paw pads were burned off, with large blisters underneath the paws. Blood oozing from the wounds. The lion’s faces were burnt, and they couldn’t eat because of blisters in their mouths.”

Meyer said the lions had severe smoke inhalation damage.

• “The damage was so severe to the lungs that the lions started to drown in their blood. The heat of the fire caused a lion’s eyes to burst. The pain that these lions had to endure. I cannot even try to imagine the pain. We cannot express the helpless and broken feelings we had during this entire time.”

According to the SPCA the owner knew the lions got injured by the fires.

She said while the owner knew about the injured lions, he did not administer any medical treatment.

Meyer said they were denied access to the farm by the owner had to obtain a warrant to get to the lions.

“We were refused entry by the owner in the Glen district, even though blazing flames destroyed most of the farmland, and especially the enclosures where the lions were kept. This was a clear indication that all was not well on this farm.”

Meyer said they entered the lion camps, and they could only see the destruction left behind by the torturing flames.

“We arrived at the lion enclosures, and our hearts broke, and our souls wept.”


Photo: Bloemfontein SPCA

She said the camps were in horrible condition.

“No electric fence, the structure poles burnt was, and the fence was hanging on a thread, with open gaps and holes. These lions could easily escape, but not even one escaped. They were too broken, too weak.

“We quickly realized that the owner didn’t care about the lions anymore. He was not willing to invest and financially spent nothing to ensure the welfare of these cats was up to standard. The owner no longer made provisions for food for the lions. If cattle or any wildlife animal died in the area the farmworkers would go and collect it for food.”

Meyer said they would also get a few dead chickens from a nearby poultry farm.

She said it was clear that there must have been days on end that the lions went without food, and explained that one cow now and then was not going to feed 59 lions and three tigers.

Meyer added that the chickens fetched were hardly enough for just one enclosure.

These lions were underweight with a very weak and low body score. One could see the rib, pelvic and vertebrae bones.

“I have never been this angry in my 30 years at the Bloemfontein SPCA. The lion is part of our big 5 in South Africa. The lion has huge status and as a country, we are supposed to be proud of our indigenous animals, but we have failed them.

“We cultivated an industry, legal or illegal, that misuses our animals for entertainment like hunting, bone trade, poaching, circus tricks, cub petting or keeping them in zoos or as pets. This must stop. We should leave these animals to be free in the wild without any human contact, but we have failed that as a country. These lions were captive, and they burned, these lions were never free.”

Meyer said the camps had lots of faeces and old carcasses.


Photo: Bloemfontein SPCA

“No one enters the enclosures to clean and the lions must live in their filth. The camps are too small for the lions. Three lions mutilated and killed their brother within 5 minutes and ate him because they were and are starving. Turning to cannibalism just to stay alive, how heartbreaking. This is one of the worst animal cruelty cases ever to happen in our careers.”


Photo: Bloemfontein SPCA

She said a veterinarian assisted them and worked in the pouring rain to attend to the lions.

THE OWNER WAS ALLEGEDLY LAUGHING AS HE WAS ISSUED A WARNING

She said they sedated every lion and assessed the injuries, they had to humanly euthanase 30 lions.

“We carried their carcasses to our vehicles in the rain. We cremated every single lion that we euthanised.”

According to Meyer the owner wasn’t bothered to be present during any time of the inspection of the injuries nor during the euthanasia.

“He was laughing when he was issued a warning, and we didn’t see him again. We issued multiple warnings for lack of water and shelter as we conducted daily inspections at the farm. The owner refuses to comply with any one of our warnings. He refuses to spend any money on these lions.”

Meyer said they had opened a case of animal cruelty against the owners of the lions.

“These animals suffered immensely. Their bones were more important to keep, and therefore they were kept alive at all costs, despite their desperate condition.

“The lions that we humanly euthanized were taken to a cremation site where we supervised every incineration. We were adamant that no one would benefit from any by-product as we were carrying all the costs.

“We spent days helping these animals. We are still at the farm to ensure that those lions left on the farm that did not suffer injuries from the fires, get fed and receive water. It is an ongoing battle.”

Meyer said they spent an enormous amount of money to sedate, treat, euthanise and cremate these animals.

“We had no other choice and could never leave them to suffer. The owner refused and still refuses to pay anything towards the lions and only wanted the carcases of the lions for the bones. We worked into the midnight hours helping these animals. We entered the camps with the lions still inside, determined to help them.”


Photo: Bloemfontein SPCA

[Richprins]