Month: July 2016

The producers of the feature film BLOOD LIONS, Wildlands and Regulus Vision, are pleased to announce that they have secured both local and global distribution for the film, BLOOD LIONS.

PBS International have picked up the global rights to the film, and will be distributing the film worldwide, outside of South Africa.

Indigenous film distribution will handle the South African rights.

Blood Lions follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about the multimillion-dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa. It is a story that blows the lid off all the conservation claims made by the breeders and hunters in attempting to justify what they do.

Tom Koch, Vice President of PBS International: “Blood Lions is a rare program that reveals the dark and brutal side of trophy hunting in Africa. Programs like this are equally rare and exceptional and should be seen by audiences around the globe. We are proud to represent this film to the international community.”

Helen Kuun of Indigenous Film Distribution:“We are honoured to be able to showcase the film on the big screen to audiences around South Africa over the next few months. As part of the awareness campaign it is of great importance to create a way for audiences and media alike to interact with the film in a cinema environment. The DVD will be available next year.”

Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands and Executive Producer: “Blood Lions exposes the cons of Lion breeding and hunting in South Africa. Over 900 lions are hunted each year, with 99% bred for the bullet. They are hand-reared by paying volunteers that believe they are saving “Africa’s Lions”. 4 days after their release from a life in captivity they are considered wild and can then be shot by hunters looking for a guaranteed kill; or slaughtered for the Lion bone trade to China. We have to stop this barbaric and fraudulent practise and believe that Blood Lions will help us do this.”

Pippa Hankinson of Regulus Vision:

“Blood Lions was produced to create global awareness. It a call to action – to encourage all who view it to make conscious choices. I believe we are all accountable. We are being challenged as to our roles and responsibilities regarding our relationship with and treatment of these magnificent creatures – indeed all animals – not only for us, but for future generations to come.”

“The Blood Lions campaign is starting to get significant traction. Since the launch, we have been overwhelmed by the global response across all sectors of society. This should serve as a clear indication to governments and the various authorities around the world that they need to come together to close down predator breeding facilities and canned hunting operations” says Ian Michler.

Interest in the film has exploded since its reception of a standing ovation at its World Premiere at the recent Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), on 22nd July. The overwhelming response to the film and issues it raises on social media has been phenomenal, with the likes of Ricky Gervais and Ellen Degeneres tweeting the film and stories.

The killing of “Cecil the Lion” in Zimbabwe in an allegedly illegal hunt has brought the spotlight to South Africa’s practices of canned hunting, and a massive interest in the film, from both ordinary people and wildlife organizations, has enabled the producers to fast-track the distribution of the film.

The film commenced targeted and curated theatrical screenings across South Africa on the 14th August, and rolled-out across the country thereafter. PBS have commenced the international sales of the film globally.

Documentary feature film “Blood Lions”, which exposes the ugly story of South Africa’s captive breeding and canned hunting industries, will be screened in Sydney, Australia on Friday, 4 September. The screening comes at a time when the Australian government is discussing a complete ban on the importation of all African lion trophies into Australia.

The producers of the film, Wildlands and Regulus Vision, secured global distribution for the highly praised film with PBS International. In South Africa, the rights for the film are being handled by Indigenous Film Distribution.

“This is a rare and exclusive event,” says Helen Kuun. CEO of Indigenous Film Distribution. “The Sydney screening will be attended by Ian Michler, the environmental journalist and safari operator who has the lead role in the documentary, as well as the film’s producer Pippa Hankinson. A Q&A session and panel discussion will be held after the screening, giving the audiences further insight into the dark underbelly of the canned hunting world.”

“Blood Lions” follows Ian Michler, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to uncover the realities about the multi-million dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa.

Every single day in South Africa at least two to three captive bred or tame lions are being killed in canned hunts. Hundreds more are slaughtered annually for the lion bone trade. The documentary reveals the full extent of the notorious industry, which serves no conservation purpose of the species whatsoever.

The “Blood Lions” story is a compelling call to action to have these practices stopped. Currently, almost 8 000 predators are being held in cages or confined areas, and none of this has anything to do with conservation. If no action is taken, that number could well be over 12 000 within the next few years.

Michler has followed the story of captive bred lions since 1999. The documentary follows him as he goes to breeding farms to witness the impacts that decades of intensive breeding is having on the captive lions and other predators.

Aggressive farmers and most within the professional hunting community resent his questioning, but the highly profitable commercialization of lions is plain to see – cub petting, volunteer recruitment, lion walking, canned hunting, trading and the new lion bone trade are on the increase. All are justified under the guise of conservation, research and education.

At the same time, “Blood Lion” also trails Swazey, the hunter who purchases a lion online from his home in Hawaii. He then travels to South Africa to follow the path of canned hunters. Trophy hunters, operators and breeders, as well as recognized lion ecologists, conservationists and animal welfare experts also feature in the comprehensive documentary.

The film shows in intimate detail how lucrative it is to breed lions, and how the authorities and most professional hunting and tourism bodies have become complicit in allowing the industries to flourish.

On 7^th October, MSNBC will present the American television premiere of “Blood Lions,” a compelling documentary which takes audiences inside the so called “canned lion hunting” industry in South Africa. Blood Lions will air at 22.00 on the East Coast and at 23.00 (West Coast).

“Blood Lions” follows environmental journalist and safari operator, Ian Michler, and American hunter, Rick Swazey, as they expose the multi-million dollar industry of canned hunting – where lions are bred and raised in confined areas for trophy hunting.  Also known as captive bred lion hunting, canned hunts allow hunters to select their lion ahead of time and complete a hunt in a matter of days.  Canned hunts provide a cheaper and faster way of hunting predatory animals compared to wild lion hunts.

It’s a world many Americans do not know exists and yet, Americans are in large part the ones fuelling the industry.   In the wake of the hunting and death of Cecil the lion, the film reveals a dark dimension to trophy hunting in Africa.

The documentary includes the perspective of both proponents of this practice who say that hunting helps preserve Africa’s lion population and conservationists who are quick to dispute that claim.

Senior Producer for MSNBC, Tim Smith, commented that: “Blood Lions is a revelatory and sad tale that demands to be told – and we are pleased to be able to bring it to our viewers.”

Ian Michler, environmentalist and a lead character in “Blood Lions”, had this to say:   “While it is true that the majority of trophy hunters coming to South Africa are from the USA, and that many of them are going after captive-bred lions, it is equally true that Blood Lions is also receiving significant support in the USA; And this support ranges from donors and the wider citizenry who are concerned or outraged about what is going on to decision-makers and politicians. I would like to thank all of you – the millions of Americans who have been so outspoken and vociferous about predator breeding and canned hunting – your support has been vital to raising the profile of Blood Lions around the world. For all of us, the first screenings of the film here are very exciting and we so look forward to getting actively involved in the campaign across your great country.”

Producer, and driving force behind the film, Pippa Hankinson said:   “We have been overwhelmed by the extraordinary response that “Blood Lions” has received from so many across the USA, and are immensely grateful to MSNBC for the incredible opportunity to premiere this important story on American television.   The film exposes the cruel exploitation of South Africa’s lions which are being intensively bred on farms resembling large scale puppy mills.   These magnificent animals are being bottle fed and hand reared simply for the bullet – for vast profits – in an industry which is not open to public scrutiny.   “Blood Lions” is a call to action – a call to all who view it to make conscious choices around our responsibilities towards our planet and the amazing creatures with whom we have the privilege to share it.   Our hope is that our film will help make the changes that are so needed, to ensure that our children’s children will be able to see these majestic animals roaming free in the wild – where they rightfully belong!”

GROWING numbers of tour-ism operators, including Tourvest and Thompsons, are throwing their weight behind a Born to Live Wild campaign that discourages tourists from visiting facilities where direct engagement with captive predators is permitted.

The campaign is an offshoot of the Blood Lions documentary which premiered at the 2015 Durban International Film Festival, before hitting the worldwide big-screen cir-cuit. The documentary has also featured on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and MSNBC in 185 countries.

The documentary blew the lid on how vague legislation in South Africa had allowed the practice of “canned lion hunt-ing” to morph into a murky, multimillion-rand industry also involving “cub petting” and “walking with lions”.

National Geographic rated the documentary as one of the 12 most powerful stories bring-ing awareness to conservation, poaching and wildlife traffick-ing over the past decade.

The worldwide campaign against lions being bred for the bullet has now reached more than 11 million people with a weekly Facebook audience of 60000, said Blood Lions mar-keting manager Lauren van Niekerk.

Van Niekerk said a Blood Lions delegation would attend the next Cites CoP17 Confer-ence to be held in Joburg in September. A youth awareness drive will also see Blood Lions screened at more schools and universities countrywide

Its offshoot, Born to Live Wild, has been endorsed by more than 85 tourism oper-ators and partners in southern Africa and abroad.

Through this campaign, tourism operators pledge not to support enterprises that con-tribute “to the cycle of breeding, exploitation and senseless killing of predators”.

“Our message is clear” said Van Niekerk. “Breeding ani-mals to be killed for fun or to be abused in tourism has no place in a progressive and responsible society.”

Van Niekerk welcomed this week’s statement from the Pro-fessional Hunters Association of South Africa (Phasa) on rogue lion breeders tarnishing South Africa’s wildlife image.

Phasa was responding to recent publicity surrounding the malnourished state of the lions at a captive-breeding facility owned by Walter Slip-pers in Alldays, Limpopo, that serves a large area of private game and hunting farms.

“At a time when the rest of the industry is doing its best to promote ethical hunting, along comes Mr Slippers with his starving lions and threatens to undermine it all,” said Phasa chief executive Tharia Unwin.

Cape Town – The issue of canned lion hunting has never received as much attention than before the death of Cecil the lion or the controversial SA based-documentary Blood Lions – but what does the end of canned lion hunting actually mean for all concerned?

A recent expose of a Limpopo breeding farm, accused of underfeeding its lions is currently being monitored by the Wildlife Protection Unit for the NSPCA.

The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) has condemned “rogue lion breeders for tarnishing South Africa’s wildlife image”, after the harrowing images of Walter Slippers’ Limpopo farm showed severely undernourished captive-bred lions and older footage of a pack of  wild dogs going crazy after being enclosed right next to lion cages on his farm went viral.

The NSPCA has since advised Slippers of corrective measures for his lions or face possible animal cruelty prosecution.

‘Reflects badly on South Africa’s tourism industry as a whole’

PHASA has said visuals of starving lions held captive behind fences reflect badly not only on hunting and the wildlife ranching industry but on South Africa’s tourism as a whole.

“Our wildlife is a key tourism asset and, in an age where destination decisions are based more and more on conscionable factors, potential tourists to South Africa are increasingly likely to live out their dream African holiday in a neighbouring country at the sight of these appalling images,” says chief executive Tharia Unwin.

Added to this, the social media storm expressing public outrage at the recent photos has raises questions regarding the role that South Africa’s Predator Association (SAPA) plays in enforcing animal welfare compliance at captive breeding facilities.

Traveller24 previously reported SAPA’s response to the allegations of starving lions at the Slippers owned farm, with SAPA saying, “If Mr Slippers had been a member of SAPA and owner of a SAPA-accredited facility, we would have taken note of the unfolding tragedy and would have been in a position to act much earlier to prevent this lamentable state of affairs.”

In a recent TV interview with SAPA chairperson, Professor Pieter Potgieter admitted that some SAPA registered farms don’t comply with the associations “ethical code”, revealing some SAPA accredited facilities with “lions living in cramped conditions and the owners offering illegal hunts”.

Alarmingly, less than 10% of the 200 lion breeders in South Africa are registered with SAPA and over 180 facilities remain unregulated.

This raises the very pressing and pertinent question of whether this industry is fairly and properly regulated and what will be done about these captive lions?

What’s the future of Africa’s lions?

“It is exactly because of these unethical practices that PHASA decided to turn its back on the captive-bred lion hunting industry at its last annual general meeting,” says chief executive Tharia Unwin.

But while PHASA says the “wildlife industry is doing its best to address growing global opposition by promoting hunting in an ethical light with major conservation spin-offs”, the statement is paper thin, when weight against the very arresting reality that South Africa has fewer than 2 000 truly wild lion – three times less than the estimated 7 000 canned lions according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) figures.

African lions are on the 2015 IUCN Red List which shows lion populations have experienced an overall decline of 43 per cent between 1993 and 2014. While populations increased in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe by 12 per cent over the same period thanks to good wildlife management, other sub-populations in the rest of Africa have plummeted by 60 per cent.

Blood Lions, prolific advocates around the unethical issue of canned lion hunting, have welcomed PHASA’s statement but stressed that “while this case represents an individual, it is in fact the entire industry that is tarnishing South Africa’s conservation and tourism image.”

So what does the future hold for the estimated 7 000 captive-bred lions, owned by farmers who now face the reality of a declining revenue stream as the US, SA’s largest market refuses to allow the import of Lion Hunting Trophies and local organisations distance themselves from the practise.

Is the reality of animal cruelty a certain future for these lions, as the number of incidents showing the deplorable practices involved in the predator breeding and canned hunting industries grow – continuing to diminish SA’s reputation as a desirable wildlife destination?

It also raises the need for a more targeted approach to help these lions. One only needs to think of organisations such as the EMoya Big Cat Sanctuary, which does not allow public interactions with its lions at all and was instrumental in assisting British charity Animal Defenders International (ADI) in rescuing 33 abused circus lions. But 7 000 appears to be an insurmountable task in comparison.

Following an historic agreement between 28 African lion Range States, more than 180 countries are expected to debate whether to move lions from their current listing on Appendix II to Appendix I – which would prohibit the trade in lions, except under exceptional circumstances.

Whether or not the SA government will head these calls to address predator breeding and canned hunting or the endangered status of the African lion at CITES COP117 conference to be held in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October at the Sandton Convention Centre remains to be seen?

Revelations this week of wild animal abuse at a Limpopo lion breeding and hunting facility show that the predator breeding industry remains unchecked despite claims of regulation by the South Africa’s Predator Association .

A social media storm expressing public outrage at recent photosinsert hyperlink of starving lions and video footage of a disaterous wild dog introduction, taken at a farm owned by Walter Slippers of Ingogo Safaris, raises questions regarding the role that South Africa’s Predator Association (SAPA) plays in enforcing animal welfare compliance at captive breeding facilities.

Photos taken by a neighbour last week revealed underweight lions at the facility near Alldays and footage taken by a volunteer on the farm showed four panicked wild dogs trying to escape an attack moments after their release into an enclosure flanked by lions. One of the wild dogs was electrocuted in the fence and another eaten; two escaped and were found days later.

In a statement responding to the allegations of starving lions at the Slippers owned farm, SAPA said: “If Mr Slippers had been a member of SAPA and owner of a SAPA-accredited facility, we would have taken note of the unfolding tragedy and would have been in a position to act much earlier to prevent this lamentable state of affairs.”

In a recent TV interview with SAPA chairman, Professor Pieter Potgieter admitted that some SAPA registered farms don’t comply with the associations “ethical code”. In the interview video footage of a SAPA accredited facility revealed lions living in cramped conditions and the owners offering illegal hunts.

Furthermore less than 10% of the 200 lion breeders in South Africa are registered with the association and over 180 facilities remain unregulated with unchecked welfare conditions affecting more than 6000 lions. As a result it appears SAPA is falling short on its intention to ensure a healthy and sustainable predator breeding and hunting industry and to enforce that registered facilities adhere to animal welfare legislation.

Because of this and that 90% of predator facilities operate without regulation, it appears that SAPA is not fulfilling its intended role.

“It is clear that there is little or no effective monitoring and inspection of these facilities. The welfare of the animals is often compromised and action is only taken reactively after an incident is reported,” says Dr Kelly Marnewick of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Carnivore Conservation Programme.

In the interview Potgieter, who is the only paid member of SAPA, admitted that the organisation is unable to monitor or enforce welfare standards at all the predator breeding and hunting farms.

“I don’t regard it (monitoring) as my function,” says Potgieter . “I have much more to do than visit lion farms and see what they are doing.”

South Africa’s captive lion breeding and hunting or “canned” lion industry, has been legally thriving for more than 20 years with approximately 1000 lions shot each year.

But since the release of the Blood Lions documentary in July last year, a global intolerance for the industry is gaining momentum .

Although Slippers has denied the allegations of the malnourished lions , an inspection by the NSPCA confirmed that some of the lions are suffering from malnutrition. NSPCA has instructed the owner to make urgent amendments to the feeding routine lest he be criminally charged. No comment on the wild dog release could be obtained from Slippers .
The Professional Hunter’s Association of South Africa announced that they no longer support canned hunting and breeding and in January this year and the US Government banned the importation of all lion trophies from Africa, unless conservation benefits to lions can be proved from the hunt.

Die geblikte leeujag- en teelbedryf in Suid-Afrika, waarby nagenoeg 8 000 leeus betrokke is, moet oor minder as vier jaar finaal deur die staat beëindig word, eis omgewingbewaringsorganisasies. Volgens die Wildlands Bewaringstrust is die Internasionale Bewaringsunie (IUCN) ook by die veldtog betrek. Die uitvoerende hoof van Wildlands, Andrew Venter, eis dat die departement van omgewingsake onmiddellik verantwoordelikheid vir die geblikte leeubedryf moet neem, en dit teen 2020 finaal moet sluit.

Venter was ook betrokke by die vervaardiging van die dokumentêre rolprent, Blood Lions. Nog ‘n organisasie, Capture in Africa, se uitgangspunt is dat leeus wild moet bly en dat halfmak leeus in die bedryf op kortafstand gejag word.

Volgens Venter het talle toeroperateurs, wat in Afrika werk, al skriftelik onderneem om nie besoekers na leeuplase te neem nie. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Roofdiertelersvereniging het ondertussen in ‘n verklaring gesê Walter Slippers, die eienaar van die uitgeteerde leeus waaroor in die media berig is, is nie ‘n lid van hul organisasie nie. Die vereniging het egter met skok kennis geneem van die haglike toestand waarin die leeus is en lede het uiteindelik 8 ton bevrore hoenders na die plaas op Alldays aangery. Die organisasie het diereregte-aktiviste daarvan beskuldig dat hulle sosiale media misbruik vir “goedkoop verdagmakery” van leeuboere. ( Die Vryb)

Die aansoek deur Suid-Afrikaanse pluimveeprodusente teen die invoerbeperkings wat in Namibië ingestel is om die plaaslike bedryf te beskerm, het in Windhoek se hoërhof misluk.

‘n Namibiese regter het Vrydag beslis die aansoek van die Suid-Afrikaanse Pluimveevereniging en vyf ander maatskappye betrokke in die buurland se pluimveebedryf teen die beperkings op invoere wat gedurende April 2013 ingestel is, was te laat ingedien. Die gronde vir die regsgeding is die kennisgewing wat gedurende April 2013 deur die minister van handel en nywerheid gepubliseer is en waarvolgens sekere kwantitatiewe beperkings op die invoer van pluimveeprodukte na Namibië ingestel is.

In terme van hierdie beskermingingsmaatreël vir Namibië se ontluikende pluimveebedryf mag nie meer as 900 ton pluimveeprodukte per maand na Namibië ingevoer word nie. Ueitele het die aansoek deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Pluimveevereniging en die Suid-Afrikaanse pluimvee-uitvoerders Astral Foods Beperk, Crown Chickens (Edms.) Bpk., Sovereign Foods, Agri Poultry (Edms.) Bpk. en Rainbow Farms (Edms.) Bpk. teen Namibië se minister van handel en nywerheid, die regering, die Namibiese Pluimveebedryf (Edms.) Bpk. en die Namibiese Vleisraad van die hand gewys. Die Suid-Afrikaanse aansoekers het die hof versoek om die beperkings op hoenderinvoere na Namibië te hersien en op te hef, sonder sukses.

Kleinhandelverkope vertoon steeds sterk te midde van moeilike ekonomiese toestande. Syfers van Statistieke Suid-Afrika toon dat verkope op ‘n maand-tot-maand grondslag met 3,4% gestyg het, wat sy hoogste vlak op ‘n kwartaallikse basis sedert 2012 is. Ekonome sê hulle is ontkant gevang deur die goeie verkoopsyfers.

Vrystaat Landbou (VL) het ‘n weer beroep op boere gedoen om hul beveiliging op plase te prioritiseer. Die oproep kom nadat ‘n dokter en sy vrou onlangs op hul plaas, Halfkroonsdrift, buite Kroonstad aangeval is.Die voorsitter van VL se wet en orde komitee, Tommie Esterhuyse, het die aanval op ‘n weerlose vrou as ‘n daad van lafhartigheid beskryf. Hy het boere gemaan om meer paraat te wees in die lig van die komende munisipale verkiesings. Esterhuyse meen uitlating deur sekere politici in hul onderskeie verkiesingsveldtogte moedig aanvalle en ander misdade op plase aan.Hy sê uitlatings en beloftes wat deur bepaalde politici gemaak word oor grondhervoring en onwettige grondbesettings skep ‘n klimaat vir aanvalle en ander misdade deur misdadigers op plase.

Die meeste Chinese verkies Suid-Afrika se makadamias op grond van hul goeie gehalte, sê mnr. Yu Zhongwu, voorsitter van die Lin’an Nuts & Roaster Association in China. Hy het op ’n onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse makadamianeut-seminaar in Sjanghai vertel dat hy Suid-Afrika al besoek het en beïndruk was met die land se makadamiabedryf.

Hoewel Suid-Afrika die wêreld se grootste uitvoerder van makadamianeute is en sowat 50% van sy uitvoerneute vir die Verre-Ooste bestem is, moet daar gekyk word na beter handelsvoorwaardes tussen Suid-Afrika en China.

Mnr. Walter Giuricich, voorsitter van die Suid-Afrikaanse Makadamiakwekersvereniging (Samac), sê China hef slegs 14,9% invoerbelasting op Australiese makadamianeute danksy die Sino-Australiese vryehandelsooreenkoms. Dié tarief gaan oor vyf jaar heeltemal afgeskaf word, terwyl Suid-Afrika steeds 19% invoerbelasting op sy neute vir China betaal.

“Ons regerings sal moet saamwerk om te verseker dat Chinese verbruikers op lang termyn steeds Suid-Afrikaanse neute kan geniet,” sê Giuricich. ( Lees meer op Landbou.com)

n Simposium oor die toepassing van die nuutste bemestingsriglyne vind op 27 Julie in Pretoria plaas.

Sakkie Ngrini skryf;   Nie juis veel van ‘n koue front suid van die land nie, al wat daar oor die land is, is ‘n bietjie hoë wolke. Oor die binneland is dit net mooiweer en koud met die normale kolle met ryp,. O.a. Potchefstroom, Vereeniging en dan die Vrystaat. Koud genoeg vir taamlik algemene ryp. Die koue fronte wes van die Kaap vertoon effe beter maar ai, daar is nie baie koue lug agter die fronte nie, hoe minder koue lug hoe minder die reën oor die Kaap. Dit lyk of die eerste koue front so net na 2-3nm by die Kaap kan wees en die 2de een, oornag, vannag. Die dae word nou wel elke dag so raps langer maar tot nou toe maak dit min verskil op die maksimum temperature. Die minimums miskien nou so koud as wat vorige winters al opgelewer het nie, maar die maksimums tot nou toe is beslis nog onder die norm. Histories begin temperature al die tyd van die jaar (Gauteng) in die lae 20’s in beweeg, maar van die begin van die maand tot en met vanoggend was daar net een dag waar ek bokant 20 C beweeg het, die res van die tyd is dit nog ver onder 20 C. Die gem. maksimum temperatuur tot nou toe (PTA) is maar sowat 17.5 C ( In Pta terme is dit sommer koud!!!!!) (Julie).

Miljoene rande is in die sakke van die eienaars van die wildplase waar die sogenaamde “geblikte Leeujag” jaarliks plaasvind. Hierdie eienaars het duisende hektare grond aangekoop met die leeus se Inkomste van ongeveer $30,000 USD to soveel as $35,000 USD per leeu.

Volgens berigte was daar nog baie wind ook gewees in die tande en die naels.  Miljoene was beskikbaar om wildsplase soos 5 ster hotelle te laat lyk.

Om ewewig terug te bring na die natuur moet die leeus maar oopgemaak word om hulle plek in die wilde natuur in te neem en op hulle tyd te jag onder die wild en so die ekologie weer herstel. Dit sal nie gebeur nie, want die wild is te duur.

Bewaringsorganisasies waarsku die regering al byna 20 jaar lank dat hy ‘n ramp op hande gaan he omdat hy toelaat dat leeus in klein kampies geteel word vir die jagbedryf.

Sowat vyf jaar gelede was daar na raming 4 000 van die halfmak leeus. Die jongste skatting dui op sowat 8 000 op meer as 200 plase. Die bedryf, met die onsmaaklike naam geblikte leeujag, het leeu-boere etlike miljoene in die sak gebring. Dit het sekerlik in ‘n mate finansieel tot Suid-Afrika se geldkoffers bygedra, maar dit is waar dit eindig. Die bedryf is lankal ‘n verleentheid vir die land.

Al hoe meer inligting het na yore gekom en be-waringsgroepe het die ware feite oor die teel van leeus die wereld begin instuur. Die dokumentere rolprent Blood Lions, wat verlede jaar uitgereik is, het skokgolwe oorsee veroorsaak.

Inligting in die rolprent het die VSA oorreed om wetgewing oor die invoer van jagtrofee einde ver-lede jaar te verander. Jagters wat hul trofee van Suid-Afrika na die VSA wil invoer, sal voortaan moet bewys dat hul jagtog tot voordeel van leeu-bewaring was.

Dit het al hoe moeiliker geword en jagters van die VSA (wat die grootste belangstelling in geblik-te leeujag het) het belangstelling verloor. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Roofdiertelersvereniging meen die jag-ters het met tot 80% afgeneem. Die gevolg is dat die geldstroom na leeuplase feitlik opgedroog het. Die slagoffers hiervan is nou verwaarloosde leeus wat vir die eienaars nutteloos geword het. ‘n Vol-wasse leeu het maandeliks tussen 120 kg en 160 kg vleis nodig. En dit ruk die leeuboere se sak.

En intussen het die departement van omgewing-sake waarskynlik besef hy het hier met ‘n warm patat te make en die “regulering” van 8 000 half-mak leeus stilletjies na die departement van land-bou, bosbou en visserye oorgeskuif Die dier wat die koning van die oerwoud is, het nou die status van ‘n plaasdier gekry.

Sommige bewaringslui meen die diere moet van kant gemaak word, ander meen hulle moet na ‘n bewaringsplek verskuif en gesteriliseer word. Die diere se welsyn was nooit vir die ANC-regering ‘n prioriteit nie, maar weens sy eie kortsigtigheid het hy ‘n ernstige probleem. Wat nou gemaak met die diere?

Suid-Afrika moet die “geblik-te”-leeubedryf teen 2020 finaal sluit en die sowat 8 000 half-mak leeus wat daarby betrok-ke is, van kant maak, eis die Wildlands-bewaringstrust en die nieregeringsorganisasie Captured in Africa.

Andrew Venter, uitvoerende hoof van Wildlands en een van die vervaardigers van die do-kumentere rolprent Blood Lions, se die departement van omgewingsake moet onmiddel-lik verantwoordelikheid aan-vaar vir die “geblikte”-leeu-bedryf wat hy “stil-stil” verle-de jaar aan die departement van landbou, bosbou en visse-rye oorhandig het.

Die Internasionale Bewa-ringsunie met sy meer as 4 000 lede is volgens hom reeds by die veldtog betrek. “Ons gee die departement van omge-wingsake drie en ‘n half jaar om die bedryf toe te maak.”

Die koalisie van nierege-ringsorganisasies eis dat die departement geen permitte uit-reik vir die uitvoer van leeu-beendere na die Ooste nie. Die geldkraan na die bedryf moet onmiddellik toegedraai word.

Hy meen net sowat 1 000 van die 8 000 leeus in die bedryf sal moontlik in bewaringsgebiede versorg kan word. Die leeus kan nie vir hulself sorg nie en sal daarom nie in die natuur vrygelaat kan word nie.

Volgens Venter het meer as 50 toeroperateurs wat in Afri-ka sake doen, reeds skriftelik onderneem om geen besoekers na leeuplase te bring nie.

Drew Abrahamson van Cap-tured in Africa se haar organi-sasie maak mense daarvan be-wus dat hulle nie aan welpies moet vat of met hulle moet speel of loop nie omdat dit die diere mak maak. “Leeus moet wild bly. Sodra hulle mak is, is hulle nutteloos.”

Intussen het die Suid-Afri-kaanse Roofdiertelersvereni-ging (Sapa) in ‘n verklaring ge-se Walter Slippers, eienaar van die uitgeteerde leeus waaroor Beeld gister berig het, is nie ‘n lid van hul organisasie nie.

Sapa het met skok kennis ge-neem van die haglike toestand waarin die diere op Slippers se plaas aangehou is en het dade-lik vir die leeus kos bymekaar gemaak.

Sapa het diereregte-aktiviste daarvan beskuldig dat hulle so-siale media misbruik vir “goedkoop verdagmakery”.

 

8 t hoenders geskenk om 100 leeus te red

Skokfoto’s van uitgeteerde “geblikte” leeus op ‘n plaas in Limpopo dui moontlik op ‘n bedryf wat onder druk ver-keer nadat die VSA streng nuwe reels oor die invoer van jagtro-fee ingestel het.

Walter Slippers, eienaar van die plaas, se die getal jagters uit die VSA het met sowat 80% af-geneem nadat die VSA einde verlede jaar besluit het leeus se bewaringstatus moet verhoog word.

Hy besit Ingogo Safari’s, ‘n leeuplaas op die grens tussen Suid-Afrika en Botswana.

Die Amerikaanse bewarings-agentskap het streng vereistes geplaas op alle leeutrofee wat na die VSA ingevoer word. Dit be-paal ‘n jagter moet kan bewys sy jagtog het ‘n bydrae tot die bewaring van leeus gelewer.

Volgens Slippers is hy besig om van sy leeus te verkoop.

Pieter van Zyl, lid van die uit-voerende komitee van die Suid-Afrikaanse Roofdiertelersvereni-ging, se die daling van 80% wat Slippers ondervind het, strook met die ervaring van heelparty ander leeuboere.

Leeutelers en ander weldoe-ners het eergister 8 t bevrore hoenders by Ingogo Safari’s af-gelaai om die sowat 100 leeus daar van ‘n hongerdood te red.

Bernd Plasil, wat op ‘n buur-plaas woon, het gister gese hy is gewalg deur die “afgryslike om-standighede” waarin die leeus aangehou word.

Volgens Plasil het hy verlede week Oostenrykse besoekers ge-had. “Hulle het op die plaas gaan stap en die uitgeteerde leeus by die heining teegekom.

“Hulle het foto’s geneem en my geroep. Ek het ook foto’s van hulle geneem en dit op Facebook geplaas.”

Plasil se die bedryf is ‘n ver-leentheid vir Suid-Afrika.

“My besoekers was uiters ge-skok om hierdie wonderlike die-re in so ‘n toestand en agter hei-nings te sien.”

Slippers se die foto’s is “vier maande oud”.

“Geeneen van my leeus lyk meer so nie.”

Hy se hy het einde verlede jaar ‘n beroerte gekry en was maande lank in die hospitaal.

Sy werkers kon nie behoorlik na die diere omsien nie en hul toestand het versleg.

Plasil hou voet by stuk die fo-to’s is verlede week geneem en dat hy met sy eie oe die swak toestand van die diere gesien het.

Diereliefhebbers en bewa-ringsorganisasies het met skok op die foto’s gereageer en die de-partement van omgewingsake en die Nasionale Dierebesker mingsvereniging (NDBV) gevra om in te gryp.

Drew Abrahamson van die be-waringsorganisasie Captured in Africa se die gebeure by Ingogo is die voorspel tot ‘n groter ramp vir die sowat 8 000 “geblik-te” leeus in Suid-Afrika.

Baie van die leeus word dees-dae glo gekoop vir hul skelet en die uitvoer van hul beendere na die Ooste, waar dit gebruik word om ‘n soort drank mee te maak.

Pat Loots van die Roofdier-telersvereniging se verskeie leeuboere het die naweek kragte saamgesnoer en die hoenders vir Slippers bymekaargemaak.

Baie is afkomstig van kroko-dilboere wat hul vrieskaste vir Slippers “leeggemaak” het.

Jan van Vuuren van ‘n wild-vangmaatskappy het ‘n vragmo-tor beskikbaar gestel om die be-vrore hoenders te vervoer.

Isabel Wenzel van die NDBV se ‘n inspekteur het die plaas gister besoek en voorwaardes aan Slippers gestel. Een daarvan is dat ‘n veearts ‘n verslag oor die diere opstel. “Ons het nog nooit probleme met mnr. Slip-pers gehad nie, maar sal sy plaas voortaan gereeld besoek.”