Link between lion farming and illegal trade

Fresh evidence adds weight to fears of a link between lion farming and the illegal bone trade, says Neil D'Cruze, global head of wildlife research at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, and Angie Elwin, wildlife research manager at World Animal Protection and visiting research fellow at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

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"In South Africa, an estimated 8 000 lions are bred and kept in captivity for commercial purposes in more than 350 facilities. This is far more than the country's wild population, estimated at 3 500 individuals.

These big cats are exploited in a variety of ways, including cub 'petting' tourism, 'canned' trophy hunting (where the lions are hunted in small enclosures with no chance of escape), live exports, and the supply of body parts for use in traditional medicine. This is despite ongoing controversy surrounding the industry, in particular related to reports of animal cruelty and risks to public health.

The commercial captive breeding and canned hunting of lions in South Africa is still legal.

By contrast, the export of lion bones, claws, skulls and teeth originating from lion farms is currently illegal. This follows a 2019 High Court declaration in which the lion bone export quota was declared unconstitutional. Consequently, no official Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) export quotas for lion skeletons have been set.

We are wildlife researchers who have been focused on various aspects of South Africa's commercial captive lion industry, including its potential impacts, how it's being regulated, and what may be influencing consumer demand.

LEGAL/ILLEGAL NEXUS