Urgent questions about the welfare of wildlife that Parliament needs to ask

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Banner image: An overcrowded camp with lion cubs of the same age. (Photo: Blood Lions) By Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick, 26 August 2020 As Department of Agriculture officials file into a meeting with Parliament’s Environmental Portfolio Committee on Friday (August 28) to explain the animal welfare laws they administer and the implications …

World Wildlife Crime Report – Trafficking in Protected Species

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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has issued a report, “World Wildlife Crime Report – Trafficking in Protected Species” 2020. “Lion, jaguar and leopard body parts are being increasingly sought as substitutes to tiger products by traffickers, a major UN report has found, but demand for ivory …

Submission to South Africa’s High-Level Panel – elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros

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Banner Image courtesy of Mark Boulton – “Lewa Conservancy, Kenya” – Elsa Trust and Elsamere IWB’s Submission to the HLP, Dated 11 June 2020 IWB’s Response to HLP Questions Received, Dated 21 October 2020 The Republic of South Africa, Department: Environmental affairs has issued a “A general notice calling for submissions, …

Living with wild animals (Part Two): Eat them like there’s no tomorrow

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Banner Image – “Late last year, 32 wild animals, including lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, lions and cheetahs, were listed under the Animal Improvement Act, effectively rendering them farm animals subject to manipulation and consumption“ Article by Don Pinnock, “Living with wild animals (Part Two): Eat them like there’s …

Living with wild animals, Part One: Cash cows or fellow beings?

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As we approach World Health Day on Tuesday, 7 April 2020 – please join the call to end wildlife markets/wildlife trade across the globe to protect human health, including re-emphasising the inherent human health risks of tuberculosis (TB) transmission from the lion bone trade. World-wide, TB has been infecting and killing …

China’s ban on wildlife consumption is an overdue death knell for lion bone industry

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by Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick, 24 February 2020 The Chinese government has placed an immediate ban on the illegal trading of wildlife and the consumption of wild animals. This follows a link between pangolin meat and the coronavirus outbreak.  Despite international outrage, South Africa is allowing a quota of at …

Evidence of a further emerging threat to lion conservation; targeted poaching for body parts

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Banner image courtesy of Greater Limpopo Carnivore Programme A recent Africa Geographic article, “Lion poaching: Escalating demand for claws and teeth,” 2 January 2020 has summarised the conclusions of a paper published towards the end of 2019: Everatt, K.T; Kokes, R. & Lopez Pereira, C., October 2019 –“Evidence of a further …

New ‘expert’ panel may be weighted to duck Parliament’s call to shut down canned hunting

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Banner image courtesy of EPA-EFE / Kim Ludbrook By Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick, 25th November 2019 In the matter of guarding the chicken run, there’s a big difference between giving the job to a chicken or a fox. In October the government appointed a high-level panel ‘to review policies, legislation …

Animal Farm

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Banner image courtesy of Mpora – “Rare white lions are considered particularly valuable among trophy hunters, and so are intensively bred – often with detrimental consequences for the gene pool. Photo: Anonymous“ The following article is written in conjunction with Voice4Lions.   Why would South Africa’s game breeding industry (the “industry”) seek …

DEA Progress Report; Captive Lion Breeding and Rhino Demand Management

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In the 12 March 2019 “Captive Lion breeding: DEA progress report; Rhino Demand Management; with Minister” the insular, circular thinking of South Africa’s Department: Environmental Affairs (DEA) is apparent under the auspices of the recently appointed Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane. Captive Lion Breeding Well, let’s start by …