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 …

Government ignored its own science task team by redefining 32 wild species as farm animals

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Banner Image: Courtesy of EPA/IFAW – “Two lionesses rub against a cage fence at a captive breeding centre for large predators at an undisclosed location in South Africa’s Free State Province in an undated picture released 16 November 2005 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)“   Towards the …

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 …

Stop The Slaughter – Close Down Domestic Rhino Horn Markets

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Excellent evidence (science) gathered by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA): “Stop The Slaughter – Close Down Domestic Rhino Horn Markets,” EIA, August 2019 This EIA report’s recommendations include urging: “Parties [to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES)] to close all existing domestic markets …

Rhino Horn Trade – Public Consultation

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Banner image – © JohanSwanepoel, licensed from Adobe i-stock  Barbara Dallas Creecy, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has invited members of the public to submit to the Scientific Authority (South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)), within 30 days from the date of the publication of the notice in the …

“Their Future Is Dark.” The Rhino Horn Trade in 2019

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Banner image courtesy of Harman Singh Heer Open letter from the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum South Africa to the Republic of South Africa, The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.   15thAugust 2019 Attention: The Minister of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries “Their Future is Dark” THE RHINO HORN TRADE 2019 …

Another Hwange Lion Executed for a Trophy

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Banner Image – Pictures of Seduli courtesy of Big Cat Conservation Big Cat Conservation is reporting (14 August 2019) that another male lion (11 years old – ref Note [1] below), Seduli has been lured from the protection of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe to be executed for a hunter’s trophy needs …

High Court Rules in Favour of Lions and NSPCA

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The NSPCA has won its case (launched in September 2018) against the Minister of Environmental affairs (and co Respondents). The Judgment (6 August 2019) from the Pretoria High Court concluded that the lion bone quotas set for 2017/18 were unlawful because animal welfare was not considered (by the Minister) to be …