In support of a government notice calling on breeders to voluntarily hand over their lion bone stockpiles, Environment Minister Dion George said it was unacceptable to severely compromise lions which spend their lives lame, underfed and in pain.

Speaking on SABC News on Saturday, he said the government needed to stop the practice. “Nobody believes it is acceptable,” he said, “only the people who make a lot of money out of it. As a minister, I will not have that, and the practice must end.”

The notice follows a task team report started under the previous environment minister, Barbara Creecy, which recommended voluntary exit options from the captive lion industry and the ending of lion bone stockpiles and derivatives (carcasses, skeletons, skins, teeth, claws and other parts).

Read more: Government reveals roadmap to slam brakes on captive lion breeding

It also recommended a programme to acquire and dispose of legal lion bone stockpiles. According to a press release on the issue, the environment department will facilitate the collection of legal lion bone stockpiles through a contractual agreement with the volunteering legal lion bone owners.

Participating breeders will also be required to sterilise their lions, refrain from acquiring additional live captive lions and ensure the maintenance of welfare and other standards for the lions in their care.

“In developing the voluntary exit options and pathways,” said George, “several key guiding principles were considered, including the imperative of preventing unemployment for vulnerable individuals and underlying pillars of sustainable use. I encourage everyone who has lion bones and derivatives to voluntarily surrender them as early as possible.”

The notice does not spell out the details of voluntary exit, but discussions taking place behind closed doors point to a buy-out of bones for their destruction.

Quick response

George invited a response to the notice within 120 days of Friday’s publication. An almost immediate response was from Wildlife Ranching SA (WRSA). Its CEO, Richard York, said it was “concerning to see Minister Dion George perpetuating administrative failures similar to those under his predecessor, Minister Barbara Creecy.

“A Ministerial Task Team, funded by taxpayers, was meant to provide clarity regarding private lion ownership. Despite the lengthy process, the DFFE [Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment] has yet to finalise an implementation plan that safeguards the livelihoods of all stakeholders involved.”

WRSA urged all breeders affected to carefully consider their participation in the process and said it stood ready to support its members and provide them with legal consultation about their private ownership rights.

Read more: Private rhino owners mull legal challenge to phasing out of captive breeding operations

The voluntary surrender of lion bones and closing of breeding operations is the soft point of a harder bullet that could follow for those who dig in their heels and attempt to continue captive breeding and canned hunts.

Those who expected George to take a softer line than Creecy will be disappointed. In the SABC interview, he said his predecessor had spent a lot of time lining up work that needed to be done in terms of consultation.

“I have committed from the outset that I will not interrupt that process, because it is something that needs to happen, and it is good for South Africa. If we’re going to be an honourable member of the conservation world and all eyes are on us, we can’t have this kind of practices.” DM

Original source: 2024-11-17-hand-over-your-lion-bone-stockpiles-for-destruction-minister-tells-breeders