Category: 2016

Screening of Blood Lions on 21 Jan

The 84 minute documentary, Blood Lions, focussing on the multi-million dollar canned lion hunting industry in South Africa, is causing an uproar worldwide.

Blood Lion’s message was instrumental in leading to the Australian government announcing a ban on the importation of all African lion trophies into Australia. Last month the US Fish and Wildlife Services announced new curbs on the lion hunting trophies into America. And now the Professional Hunters Association of SA (PHAS A) has formally announced that it would expel any members involved in captive lion hunting.

Since the first screening at the Durban International Film Festival in July last year, dozens of screenings followed in South Africa as well as internationally, including the Australian and EU parliament, and this year it will be shown at a couple of American Film Festivals.

The Hermanus Times caught up with one of the producers Pippa Hankinson who was in Hermanus recently. Originally from Malawi she grew up in Swaziland and “a passion for environmental issues is a part of me. I was in tourism for 20 years and served as a trustee with various conservation organizations.”

The seed for the documentary was planted after Hankinson visited a lion breeding facility in the Free State four years ago. She came away with more questions than answers and says she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

She quotes Martin Luther King when asked what drove her to make the film: “I just had to – in a nutshell, Martin Luther King, Jr best sums it up for me: ‘Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter’.

Blood Lions is a call to action which follows Ian Michler, a South African conservationist and safari operator, onto the breeding farms to witness the results of battery-farmed lions. It shows highly profitable commercialization of lions – cub petting, volunteer recruitment, lion walking, hunting and the new lion bone trade.

Hankinson explains: “The carcasses of adult lionesses are shipped to Asia as supplements for ‘tiger-bone wine’ (said to help combat rheumatism and arthritis) and ‘tiger-bone cakes” (believed to boost virility). Because tiger numbers are on the decrease lion-bone is the new substitute ingredient. One carcass can fetch as much as R25 000.”

The documentary, in parallel, follows Rick Swazey, an American hunter, who buys a lioness online, and sets out to come to South Africa to shoot it.

The documentary tells the story of how lion breeding, canned trophy hunting and increasingly lion bone trade are intertwined.

“In South Africa there are between 6 000 and 8 000 predators in captivity, most of them lions. Last year alone over 1 000 captive, hand-reared lions were shot in SA, mostly by international hunters. There are around 2500 to 3000 lions roaming in the wild.”

For Hankinson it is about the hope that the film will be the voice for the voiceless, “that it will raise global awareness and encourage all of us who view it to take a good look at our relationships with each other, and our treatment of and responsibility towards these magnificent creatures – indeed all animals – not only for us, but for our children’s children.

“Our wildlife is our heritage and I believe we are all accountable.”

The screening, followed by a Q&A session with Ian Michler and Pippa Hankinson, is at 18:30. Tickets: R8Opp. To book, please call 083 390 5555.

SA’s canned lion hunts could soon come to an end

WASHINGTON: They call it canned hunting.

South African farmers breed lions in captivity from cubs to adults, then release them just after the arrival of a hunter who pays about $15 000 (about R243 000) for a kill. Sometimes the animal is drugged to make it easier game. Sometimes it’s lured by fresh meat to a place where the hunter lurks. Sometimes the felines are so accustomed to humans that they amble up to the person waiting to kill it. Not surprisingly, the success of these hunts is 99 percent.

But the Obama government’s federal protection of lions could end the practice when a new rule goes into effect in about three weeks.

As part of actions listing African and Indian lions as threatened or endangered, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared it would make it much harder for American hunters to import the slain animals’ heads – their trophies and bragging rights, In addition, the fees for hunting permits will increase substantially.

A recent analysis by Humane Society International said harsher US scrutiny of trophy imports, along with higher fees and refusal of some carriers such as Federal Express to ship them, could drive the South African ranchers out of business. The organisation said almost nine of 10 lions shot in canned hunts there are killed by Americans.

“It’s the responsibility of the hunting industry and the American hunter in particular to do better,” Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe said last month, vowing the agency would pay more attention to how African nations use permit fees intended to benefit wildlife conservation. “Hunt-ing, particularly trophy hunting, is going to have to lead to the enhancement of lion populations. We have an obligation to make sure US citizens are supporting wildlife management programmes that enhance lion populations in the wild.”

Humane Society International studied data compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement involving more than 150 countries, and found that in 2014, a total of 363 lion trophies from South Africa – 85 percent – were imported to the US. Poland was a distant second with 20 trophies, followed by Spain with 17 and the Czech Republic with 10.

Fish and Wildlife officials declined on Monday to comment on the Humane Society’s analysis without seeing the raw data behind it. However, spokeswoman Laury Parramore wrote in an email: “We are aware that most of the sport-hunted lions documented in the international trade are imported into the United States and that most of these lions were exported from South Africa.”

The agency said there were about 3 600 captive lions bred for trophy hunting at more than 170 facilities in South Africa in 2009. The industry often publicises captive breeding as a potential solution to the dwindling populations in the wild. But lions bred in cages rarely have the tools and behaviors to survive on their own, according to scientific research.

Canned or captive hunting, as it’s also known, has been widely condemned by animal-rights groups, including Born Free USA, which has declared 2016 the “Year of the Lion” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the movie, Born Free, that focused worldwide attention on the African species. Blood Lions, a documentary set for worldwide release this year, targets such hunting.

“If you thought Walter Palmer’s killing of Cecil was deplorable, what happens to nameless lions at these facilities is even more appalling and unsporting,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Human Society of the United States. “Along with the new US import restrictions, we applaud France and Australia for banning lion trophy imports and we urge other importing countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland and Spain, to enact similar rules.”

African lions numbered in the hundreds of thousands in much of the last century but now total only about 20 000. They are haunted by a range of issues: people expanding into their habitat, the widespread human slaughter of animals they prey upon for bush meat, and government-sanctioned hunts for permits that fetch up to $400 000 each.

While the death of the Zimbabwean lion known as Cecil drew worldwide attention last year, little is generally known about lion hunts within contained areas where kills are all but assured. South Africa has about 6 000 captive lions. They are born in cages and often rented out to petting operations when they’re young. As adults, their value as hunting targets increase.

“The animals are normally kept in small cages and released just before being shot,” said Teresa Telecky, director of the wildlife department for Humane Society International. “They hang an animal for the lion to kill, and the hunter lays in wait for a guaranteed kill. More people are becoming aware of it.”

South Africa isn’t the only site of canned hunts, which often are promoted at US hunting conventions. Texas ranches breed African antelopes for hunts, while red foxes in Virginia and elk in Colorado also are raised specifically for hunting, according to Born Free USA. “If you look at trophy hunting overall, it’s predominantly Americans engaged in the activity,” Telecky said.

“There are more than a thousand captive hunts in at least 28 states,” the organisation says on its website. “The re are 12 US ranches holding current or recent government-issued endangered species permits.” – Washington Post

Canned lion hunting gets thumbs down

In the face of renewed criticism of canned lion hunting, the Professional Hunters Association has vowed to expel any members found to be involved in hunting or marketing of captive-bred lions, says a report on the IoL site. This follows a series of developments locally and internationally in the wake of the ‘Cecil the lion’ controversy in Zimbabwe and recent global screenings of Blood Lions, a documentary on the multimillion-dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industry in SA. Late last month, the US Fish and Wildlife Service also announced new curbs on the import of lion hunting trophies into the US. Shortly before the curbs were announced, the Professional Hunters Association of SA said it had revised its previous position papers on captive-bred lions and would ‘no longer tolerate this form of hunting’. This would be until the SA Predator Association could convince the Professional Hunters and the International Union for Conservation of Nature that captive-bred lion hunting was ‘beneficial’ to lion conservation.

The US Government’s federal protection of lions could end canned hunting when a new rule goes into effect in about three weeks, according to a report in The Washington Post. It notes that as part of actions listing African and Indian lions as threatened or endangered, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared it would make it much harder for American hunters to import the slain animals’ heads – their trophies and bragging rights, In addition, the fees for hunting permits will increase substantially. The report states a recent analysis by Humane Society International said harsher US scrutiny of trophy imports, along with higher fees and refusal of some carriers such as Federal Express to ship them, could drive the SA ranchers out of business. The organisation said almost nine of 10 lions shot in canned hunts in SA are killed by Americans. The report says Humane Society International studied data compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement involving more than 150 countries, and found that in 2014, a total of 363 lion trophies from SA (85%) were imported to the US. Poland was a distant second with 20 trophies, followed by Spain with 17 and the Czech Republic with 10.

Full report in The Washington Post

Stropers vergiftig twee leeus

Telers se VSA se nuwe reels gaan stropery net aanmoedig

Die nag van 22 Desember het stropers by die Aloe Ridge-wildplaas naby Swartruggens in Noordwes ‘n vergiftigde hoenderkarkas oor een van die leeukampe se draad gegooi en gewag dat twee leeumannetjies (onderskeidelik drie en ses jaar oud) vrek. Daarna het hulle die draadheining geknip en die leeus se koppe en agterpote afgekap en daarmee gevlug.

“Dit was die eerste keer dat ek so iets sien. Ek het nie geweet wat om te se toe my werkers my kom roep het nie,” se Nazeer Cajee, Aloe Ridge se eienaar.

“Dit is ‘n hengse kopseer. Ek het nou ekstra wagte gehuur en ‘n nuwe sekerheidstelsel ten duurste laat installeer. ‘n Mens is bang hulle kom weer.”

Die voorval het gekom slegs ‘n dag nadat die VSA se vis- en wildlewediens (USFWS) twee leeusubspesies tot die lys van bedreigde spesies gevoeg het.

Cajee vrees die besluit kan leeustropery in Suid-Afrika laat toeneem. “Kyk maar wat het met die renosters gebeur. Dieselfde gaan nou met ons leeus gebeur. As wettige leeujag bemoeilik word, gaan stropers dit onwettig doen. Dis eenvoudig ‘n feit.”

Luidens die webtuiste van die Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH) word leeubene lank reeds as byproduk van die leeujagbedryf na China en ander Oosterse lande uitgevoer waar dit gebruik word om ‘n soort leeubeen- wyn (in China) of leeubeenkoek (Vietnam) te maak wat onder meer teen rumatiek en impotensie gebruik word.

Tienie Bamberger, eienaar van die Warthog Safaris-jagplaas buite Lephalale en lid van die Suid-Afri- kaanse Roofdiertelersvereniging (SARV), se die probleem is nou dat as ‘n Amerikaner sy leeutrofee wil huis toe neem, hy voortaan vooraf ‘n permit by die USFWS sal moet kry.

Die permitte sal egter net uitge- reik word as daar genoegsame bewyse is dat die betrokke leeus op etiese wyse geteel en aangehou word en dat die land se leeujagbedryf wel hydra tot die “verbetering van die oorlewing van die spesie”.

“As die Amerikaners nie meer hul trofees kan huis toe vat nie, gaan hulle nie wil kom jag nie. As die wettige leeujagbedryf dan skielik afneem, gaan leeugetalle drasties afneem omdat daar steeds ‘n groot aanvraag vanuit die Ooste vir leeubene is en daar nie meer volhoubaar met leeus geboer kan word nie. Verder kan onwettige stropery van leeus ook verhoog,” se Bamberger.

“Dit kan lelik raak, want stropers gaan nie leeus met gewere wil aandurf nie. Hulle gaan karkasse vergiftig en s6 kan hele troppe gelyk vrek.”

Pieter Potgieter, president van die SARV, se daar is die afgelope week by ‘n bosberaad op Koster besin oor hoe die vereniging te werk sal gaan om die nodige bewyse te kan lewer om aan die USFWS se vereistes te voldoen.

“Leeujag en leeuteling dra op baie maniere tot bewaring by. Vir elke geteelde leeu wat gejag word, word ‘n wilde leeu se lewe gered. Teling dra ook finansieel en geneties by tot die bewaring van die leeu en leeutelers kan leeus hervestig in gebiede waar hulle uitgesterf het,” se Potgieter.

“Die departement van omgewingsake het ingestem om by die USFWS uit te vind presies wat bedoel word met die `verbetering van die oorlewing van die spesie’ sodat ons ‘n dokument kan opstel wat die bewaringswaarde vir ons lede uiteen sal sit.”

Tot tyd en wyl die bewyse gelewer word, het die Professionele Jagtersvereniging van Suid-Afrika (Phasa) hom egter in November van die jag van geteelde leeus gedistansieer.

“Om te se leeustropery gaan skielik toeneem, is pure bespiege- ling. Die leeuteelbedryf kon eenvoudig nog nie bewaringswaarde bewys nie. Leeujag is baie winsgewend, maar dra nie direk by tot die bewaring van wilde leeus nie,” se Stan Burger, president van Phasa. “As die bedryf bewyse kan lewer, sal Phasa sy posisie heroorweeg. Maar intussen sal Phasa-lede wat leeus jag, geskors kan word.”

Ian Michler, navorsingskonsultant van die bekroonde dokumenter Blood Lions, meen daar is geen bewaringsargument om leeus in aanhouding te teel nie.

“Die argument word nou weer tot ‘n ekonomiese gesprek gereduseer. Ek kan verstaan hoekom hulle bang is, want hul sakemodel word bedreig. Om nou te wil kla oor stropery het nie sin nie, want dit is juis die leeutelers en jagoperateurs wat die leeubeenbedryf aanvoer,” se Michler.

Conservation group declares 2016 the year of the lion

A FOUNDATION with close links to an Eastern Cape reserve has declared 2016 the year of the lion.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the film Born Free, the foundation named after it would launch initiatives to focus on the decline of the lion population, it was announced yesterday.

These will include a census, publicity campaigns and special screenings.

“Elsa the lioness captured the hearts and minds of a worldwide audience in the 1966 classic film Born Free – but, today, the international wildlife charity that bears its name sounds the alarm over the future of lions,” the foundation said yesterday.

The film starred Virginia McKenna – a frequent visitor to Shamwari in the Eastern Cape – and her late husband, Bill Travers.

They portrayed conservationists George and Joy Adamson and the rehabilitation of the lion Elsa.

Born Free Foundation chief executive Adam Roberts said it was believed that lion numbers had plummeted to fewer than 20 000 across Africa.

Roberts said the slaying of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe had made headlines worldwide last year, and the recent documentary Blood Lions revealed the horrors of professional and canned hunting.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to be held in Johannesburg in September, would also concentrate on the plight of lions.

Shamwari, in partnership with McKenna, has gained international recognition for its Born Free Foundation Animal Rescue and Education Centre.

2016 declared ‘The Year of the Lion’

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the famous lion-celebrating film‚ ‘Born Free’‚ and a foundation linked to the movie has declared 2016 “The Year of the Lion”.

Born Free USA and the Born Free Foundation‚ concerned about the plight of the jungle royalty‚ made the announcement in a statement released on Monday.

Born Free will launch various initiatives to draw attention to the decline of the lion population‚ including a census‚ publicity campaigns‚ special screenings‚ events‚ news‚ and information online throughout 2016.

“Elsa the lioness captured the hearts and minds of a worldwide audience in the 1966 classic film Born Free — but‚ today‚ the international wildlife charity that bears its name sounds the alarm over the future of lions. The film starred legendary actress Virginia McKenna and her late husband‚ Bill Travers‚ portraying the pioneering conservationists George and Joy Adamson and their successful rehabilitation of Elsa to the wild‚” the statement said.

Adam M. Roberts‚ CEO of Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation‚ said: “Experts believe their numbers have plummeted to fewer than 20‚000 across Africa as their habitat dwindles and becomes more fragmented; as horrific retaliatory killings are perpetrated; and as hundreds of lions are slaughtered each year by trophy hunters in the name of ‘sport’. It is imperative that their plight is immediately taken seriously. The species’ decline has been rapid and steep. Without concerted action at all levels of government globally‚ the species could disappear from significant parts of Africa during our lifetime.”

The statement drew attention to canned hunting‚ saying: “Across the globe‚ the public is more aware than ever about the need to save lions before it is too late. The slaying of Cecil the lion made headlines worldwide in 2015‚ and the recent documentary Blood Lions revealed the horrors of professional and canned hunting to audiences in more than 100 countries.”

The two organisations said that in 2016‚ the spotlight will be on lions at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)‚ which will be held in Johannesburg in September.

“More than 180 countries from around the world will debate‚ and possibly decide‚ the future level of protection afforded to lions. Born Free is calling for an end to commercial trade and an up-listing of African lions to CITES Appendix I (highest priority).”

Kul jou bier kul jou daar jou land is kaal

As ‘n mens terugkyk op die jaar wat verby is, was daar gebeure wat in die natuurlike omgewing plaasgevind het wat ‘n vonk aangesteek het. Dit het hewige debatte ontlok, protesoptogte aan die gang gesit, aanlynversoekskrifte laat posvat en Twitter- en Facebook-veldtogte begin.

Een so ‘n vonk wat ‘n veldbrand veroorsaak het, was die jagtog deur dr. Walter Palmer, ryk Amerikaanse tandarts en grootwildjagter, wat Cecil die swartmaanhaarleeu van Hwange in Julie vanjaar in Zimbabwe met ‘n kruisboog doodgeskiet het.

Honderde aanlynversoekskrifte is in Augustus teen Palmer begin en duisende mense wereldwyd (baie in Suid-Afrika) het dit onderteken. Hulle het gevra vir die uitlewering van Palmer aan Zimbabwe, waar hy hopelik gestraf sou word. Hulle het sover gegaan om daarop aan te dring dat sy praktyk in Minnesota gesluit word. Hy is ook by sy huis geteister waar woorde soos “moordenaar” met rooi verf op die motorhuis se deure gespuit is.

Hoewel Palmer nie aan Zimbabwe uitgelewer is nie, is hy waarskynlik deeglik daarvan bewus dat hy een van die mees gehate mense in die wereld is. Aktiviste vergeet nooit nie. S6 treiter Twitter-gebruikers Palmer steeds. Hulle breek gereeld op sy webblad in en sorg s6 dat hy nooit sal vergeet nie.

Cecil het die wereld weer aan die dink gesit oor trofee, sport- en biltongjag, veral in Afrika waar wild soveel werk skep as deel van die toerismebedryf. Begrippe soos “oneties” en “onvolhoubaar” het nuwe betekenis gekry. Mense vra hulle af hoe dit moontlik is dat trofeejag in dieselfde asem as bewaring gebruik kan word.

Op eie bodem word debatte gevoer oor die gonswoorde “volhoubare benutting”, wat ons eie Edna Molewa, minister van omgewingsake, so graag gebruik wanneer sy die handel in renosterhoring probeer regverdig. In 2016 word ‘n groot Cites-beraad in Johannesburg gehou en die internasionale oopstel van die handel in renosterhoring is op die agenda.

Lande wat bewaringsgesind is, lig reeds die wenkbroue oor hierdie Suid-Afrikaanse voorstel.

Die dokumentere rolprent Blood Lions het vanjaar ook opslae gemaak en die kwessie van geblikte leeujag in die kollig geplaas.

Die onetiese bedryf het lang tentakels en begin reeds wanneer leeuwelpies gebore word en mense toegelaat word om aan hulle te vat en met hulle te speel. Hier begin die geldmakery reeds. Welpies is oulik as hulle so klein is, maar dit is waar die doodskoot begin. Hierdie welpies word net geteel om in klein kampies gejag te word. Molewa het gou besef hierdie is ‘n warm patat en nou sit Senzeni Zokwana, minister van landbou, bosbou en visserye, met die probleem: Wat gaan word van 7 000 halfmak leeus wat geen bewaringswaarde het nie? Wat eens bestempel is as die koning van die diere het nou die status van ‘n plaasdier.

Daar is baie omgewingskwessies wat in 2016 aandag moet kry. Van die belangrikste wentel om ons minerale.

Terwyl ons soveel energie bestee aan groot politieke gebeure wat ons aandag aftrek, word ons land stuk-stuk opgemyn.