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"South Africa , CITES and canned lions"
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>SOUTH AFRICA, CITES AND CANNED LIONS
>
>We are advised that at the 2004 CITES Conference in Bangkok, the South
>African delegation will contend that canned lion hunting has been
>abolished, which is simply untrue. In fact, canned hunting, and the
>captive breeding of living targets which is part of it, has in a
>government Policy adopted in September 2003 now been extended to all
>predators. (This includes endangered species such as wild
>dogs) Electronic copies of the original policy as word.doc are
available
>from us: email <mailto:krc@spg.co.za>krc@spg.co.za or
><mailto:africanode@ecoterra.net>africanode@ecoterra.net. (txt only
version
>and background information below).
>
>Delegates should be aware of the commitment of the South African
>Conservation regime to both the truth, and to CITES rules. Take the
case
>of caracals, which - like lions - are listed in Appendix II of CITES
for
>decades. Here is how the SA government protects caracals.
>
>In August 2000, three young caracals were rescued by the Kalahari
Raptor
>Centre (KRC) from a farmer who would otherwise have shot them. The
KRC is
>the only registered Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in the whole of the
>Northern Cape Province. An area of 160, 000 square kilometers. The
>Centre's permits specifically exclude caracals and in fact restrict
the
>Centre to caring only for animals who weigh 4 kgs or less. Think
about
>this: the only registered wildlife rehab center in an area two-thirds
the
>size of Great Britain is restricted to caring for animals that do not
>weigh more than 4 kgs - CITES protected or not.
>
>The SA conservation authorities responded to the rescue by:
>1. prosecuting Chris Mercer and Beverley Pervan, owners of the KRC
and
>authors of the book "For the Love of Wildlife," in the criminal
courts.
>2. confiscating the three caracals. In a bizarre show of
para-military
>force, a whole convoy of armed policemen and conservation officials
>invaded the Centre, darted the three caracals and removed them to
>Bloemfontein Zoo.
>
>The officials had relied upon a fifty year old piece of apartheid
>legislation called the Problem Animal Control Ordinance, 26 of 1957,
which
>makes the extermination of caracals compulsory.
>
>The ordinance specifically excludes black South Africans. Scarcely
>credible though it may be, SA Conservation officials continue twelve
years
>after Nelson Mandela walked to freedom, to enforce a law which begins:
>“Any six persons who are not black may form a hunt club.”
>
>As can be seen from the figures given in the South African Journal of
>Science, dated August 1996, hundreds of thousands of animals, mostly
>harmless non-target animals, have been slain in these terrible hunts,
>which are mainly aimed at exterminating caracals. Over a period of a
few
>short years, the hunt club known as the Oranjejag exterminated 87,570
>animals in the Free State province alone. About seventy percent
(60,340)
>were harmless Cape Foxes.
>
>The treatment of problem animals by farmers, which is facilitated and
>approved by SA conservation officials, involves the lifting of all
>controls on inhumane methods of hunting. Gin-traps, snares, poisons,
all
>are legally used against caracals in South Africa.
>
>One favourite device for getting animals out of burrows, where they
may
>have sought refuge from the dog packs, involves the use of barbed
>wire. A length of barbed wire is fed into the hole and then twisted
until
>the barbs catch in the coat of the trapped animal. Twisting continues
>until the animal's coat has been rolled around the barbs. Once
impaled in
>this manner, the grotesquely disfigured animal - whether a target
animal
>or a family of bat-eared foxes - is hauled out of the burrow, into the
>jaws of the waiting dogs. Behind the euphemism of 'problem animal
control'
>lies barbaric cruelty on a scale that the international community
cannot
>even imagine.
>
>Considering how other Appendix II animals such as caracals are treated
by
>the South African government, CITES delegates are asked to consult
with
>credible wildlife organizations such as the Kalahari Raptor Center
before
>accepting any blandishments by SA "conservationists" that canned lion
>hunting has been abolished.
>
>Chris Mercer
>Kalahari Raptor Centre
>Saturday, September 25, 2004
>
>-----------------
>
>Approved on 14 August 2002 by Working Group 1
>NATIONAL PRINCIPLES, NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF
LARGE
>PREDATORS IN SOUTH AFRICA
>
>This document provides national principles, norms and standards for
the
>sustainable utilisation of large predators in South Africa within the
>context of applicable national legislation and policies. Provincial
>policies may be more restrictive.
>
>Existing operations will have a one-year period of grace before having
to
>conform with this policy.
>
>AIMS
>Aims of the principles, norms and standards are:
>(i) to provide a national approach and minimum standards to
all
>aspects relating to the management of large predators;
>(ii) to regulate the hunting of large predators;
>(iii) to promote the ethical hunting of large predators;
>(iv) to regulate the control of damage-causing animals;
>(v) to protect the rights of owners of properties neighbouring
>those on which large predators are introduced;
>(vi) to regulate the import and export of large predators;
>(vii) to protect the genetic integrity of indigenous predator
>populations; and
>(viii) to ensure sustainable use of large predators.
>
>In this document the term large predator refers to lion, leopard,
cheetah,
>wild
>dogs, hyaena and excludes exotic cats of the genera Panthera and
Felis.
>
>1. DEFINITIONS
>
>Wild: A large predator is considered to be wild if;
>it is free-ranging,
>it lives on wild prey populations, which do not require to be
>supplemented in numbers or with food,
>its own diet is not supplemented with food artificially,
>it occurs in its natural habitat within the historical distribution
range
>of the particular species, and
>the particular species' social requirements must be met at all times
>
>
>
>WG1/Large Predators/17P
>
>Managed wild populations - A large predator population is considered
to be
>a managed wild population if;
>§ it is free-ranging,
>§ it lives on wild ;prey populations whose numbers may require
to
>be supplemented,
>§ it occurs in its natural habitat within the historical
>distribution range of the particular species, and
>§ the particular species' social requirements must be met at
all
>times
>
>Captive - A large predator is considered captive if any of the
>criteria of the definitions for wild or managed wild populations are
absent.
>
>Captive-bred
>A large predator bred under controlled unnatural conditions is
considered
>to be captive-bred.
>
>Canned hunting - Canned hunting is considered to be any form of
hunting
>where;
>
>a large predator is tranquillised, artificially lured by sound, scent,
>visual stimuli, feeding, bait, other animals of its own species, or
>another species, or any other method, or
>->captive large predators are hunted.
>
>2. MANAGEMENT OF LARGE PREDATORS IN THE WILD
>This policy applies to predators which occur naturally in the wild and
>those that have been acceptably re-established in the wild within
their
>natural distribution range.
>The following principles shall apply when re-establishing large wild
>predators:
>- enough suitable habitat must be available to accommodate a viable
> group;
>- sufficient suitable prey must be available to sustain the
>predators
> through natural hunting;
>- adequate fencing as prescribed by the relevant provincial
conservation
> authority must be erected
>- only truly wild or properly rehabilitated large predators may be
utilized
> for re-establishment purposes.
>
>The re-establishment of any large predator will be subject to an
>environmental assessment and feasibility study by the applicant, which
>will be reviewed by the relevant provincial conservation authority,
and
>which will lead to the development of a formal ecological management
plan.
>
>Large Predators/1 7P
>
>Wild large predators may only be temporarily kept in a release camp
prior
>to release and shall be subject to the fencing specifications
prescribed
>by the relevant provincial conservation authority.
>
>Capture and temporary keeping of large predators for any other reasons
is
>subject to authorisation by the relevant provincial conservation
authority,
>
>The written comments of adjacent landowners will be considered by the
>relevant provincial conservation authority when establishing large
predators.
>
>3. HUNTING OF WILD AND MANAGED WILD INDIGENOUS LARGE PREDATORS
> * No large predator may be hunted without authorisation issued by
the
> relevant provincial conservation authority.
> * No human-imprinted predators may be hunted.
> * The area in which the hunt will take place must fulfil the
following
> requirements:
>- the large predator must be wild as defined above;
>- the area must be fenced according to the requirements of the
relevant
>provincial conservation authority; and
> - hunting of a specific animal will only be considered six months
> after introduction of the particular animal.
> * No large predator may be artificially lured by sound, scent,
visual
> stimuli, feeding, bait, other animals of its own or another species
or
> any other method.
> * No dogs may be used, except where the predator has been wounded
in
> the hunt and needs to be traced.
> * No large predator under the influence of any tranquilliser or
> similar drug may be hunted.
> * No large predator may be hunted at night.
> * The methods of hunting of leopard will be dealt with at the
> discretion of the relevant provincial conservation authority.
>
>WGI/Large Predators/17P
> * Hunting must be done on foot and from at least 200 m from the
> vehicle (except for disabled hunters)
>
>
> Hunting is only allowable using legal hunting methods.
>The relevant provincial conservation authority must be informed
regarding
>the dare and time of hunt and reserves the right to be present at the
hunt.
>The hunter must be in possession of all permits, licences and relevant
>documentation and must be abie to present these upon request.
>Wounded and hunted animals must be reported to the relevant provincial
>conservation authority within 24 hours.
>The conservation authority may specify the calibre of fire-arm or
weapon
>used during the hunt.
>Special permits are required from the relevant provincial conservation
>authority for hunting with bow and arrow.
>
>4. KEEPING AND BREEDING OF CAPTIVE LARGE PREDATORS
>
>Large predators kept captive for species conservation and commercial
>purposes are subject to the following conditions.
>
> * The establishment of a captive operation of large predators
will be
> subject to an environmental assessment in terms of NEMA. The
following
> will be minimum requirements:
>a management plan, and
>a business plan
> * No large predator may be kept under captive circumstances unless
the
> applicant satisfies the relevant provincial conservation authority
that
> the capture, keeping and/or breeding of the predator/s has a
> conservation, commercial, rehabilitation or education objective or
forms
> part of a bona fide research programme or project attached to a
> recognised institution of research or higher learning.
> * No large predators may be kept as pets.
> * Exhibition of large predators must conform to the Performing
Animals
> Act (PAA) and the requirements of the NSPCA. The issuance of licenses
in
> terms of the PAA must take into account the guidelines as set out in
this
> document.
> * All large predators in a captive operation shall be subject to
> micro-chipping as prescribed by the relevant provincial conservation
> authority, The applicant will be responsible for the costs of such
> micro-chipping. Such information will be housed in a national
database,
> to be established by DEAT for this purpose, to ensure
standardisation.
> Standardised microchips to be used as prescribed by DEAT. Provinces
must
> supply DEAT with the information.
> * Fencing specifications as prescribed by the relevant provincial
> conservation authority for the management of wild large predators
must be
> adhered to (see section 3).
> * The written comments of adjacent landowners will be considered
when
> establishing a captive facility for large predators,
> * No permit for the keeping of large predators in captivity will
be
> issued before the facility has been inspected and approved by the
> relevant provincial conservation authority.
>5. HUNTING OF CAPTIVE LARGE PREDATORS
>Hunting of captive large predators (i.e. canned hunting as defined in
this
>document) is prohibited.
>Hunting of captive-bred large predators will only be permitted once
they
>have been certified as rehabilitated to wild status by the relevant
>provincial conservation authority as defined in this document.
>
>6. CONTROL OF DAMAGE CAUSING LARGE PREDATORS
>The most effective control measures, taking into consideration the
>conservation status of the animal, should be applied at all times,
>
>Permits for the capture or destruction of large predators causing
damage
>to property or which are a threat to human life will only be issued
after
>the relevant provincial conservation authority has been satisfied that
the
>capture or killing of the animal is warranted.
>
>The control of large predators causing damage shall, be treated as
>prescribed by the relevant provincial legislation.
>
>WG1ILarge Predators/17P
> * The relevant provincial conservation authority will decide on
the
> disposal of the carcass or the skin.
> * Damage caused by large predators is art inherent agricultural
risk
> and therefore the onus is on the landowner to use non-lethal
preventative
> measures to protect his property from large predators that might
cause damage.
>
>7. IMPORT AND EXPORT OF LARGE PREDATORS
>
> * No large predator shall be imported or exported or transported
> without the necessary internal, national, or provincial permits and
> without being microchipped.
>
> * Crates for the translocation of large predators must comply
with
> IATA1 regulations for air transport and the requirements specified by
the
> relevant provincial conservation authority.
>
> * Where an application is received for the import of
non-indigenous
> wild large predators into the country, the applicant will have
so-prove,
> by means of appropriate DNA testing, that the predators are
genetically
> sufficiently dissimilar to local predators to the extent that it
> precludes the possibility of the hybridisation of subspecies,
species, or
> other taxa.
>
> * A certificate of health must be issued by a veterinarian prior
to
> the import of any large predator and such certificate must indicate
that
> each predator is free from diseases such as feline AIDS, TB or any
other
> disease which may threaten local populations, Any other requirements
by
> veterinary and other authorities must also be met.
> -------------------
>
>BACKGROUND INFORMATION
>
>History
>
>Canned Lion Hunting is a comparatively recent phenomenon in South
Africa.
>The first attempt to regulate it that we can find is a 1992 Gauteng
policy.
>This simply canvassed the views of the three main hunting
organizations and
>tried to balance them. The public was not consulted. Then in 1997 came
the
>Cook Report, and the Carte Blanche expose, which as you all know,
caused an
>unprecedented public outcry. In 2001, the Limpopo province secretly
tried
>to legitimize canned hunting, but the policy was leaked to us and
after we
>publicized the contents, the policy was hurriedly shelved. Finally
came
>the National norms and Standards Policy on Canned Lion hunting, which
was
>again conceived, framed and adopted in September 2002, in complete
>bureaucratic secrecy. In June 2003, nine months after its
implementation,
>the Policy was gazetted, not for public consultation, but only 'for
general
>information'.
>
>THE POLICY
>
>Had the public been given a chance to participate in the
decision-making
>process as required by law, some of the policy terms which would have
been
>challenged include:-
>
>· The definition of "canned hunting," which has been carefully
gerrymandered
>to allow the hunting of captive bred lions so long as they are not
actually
>in captivity at the time they are shot by the hunter. This goes
nowhere to
>meet public concerns about captive breeding and canned hunting of
predators.
>
>· The sport hunting of large predators by bow and arrow.
>Consider the website of one captive breeder and canned hunter,
><http://www.africancats-hounds.co.za>www.africancats-hounds.co.za In
>accordance with the new adopted policy,
>JS Safaris will hunt any predators, large and small, with dogs. Photos
show
>a leopard being savaged by dogs. Photos also show lions who have been
shot
>with bow and arrow - after being hunted with dogs. What has
conservation
>come to when tame lions can be turned out after a life of imprisonment
to be
>set upon by a dog pack and then used for archery purposes? How can Mr
>Strydom continue to get his permits from North-West Nature
Conservation
>authorities? How can the NSPCA allow this?
>
>There is a comparison here:
>Mr Strydom's fiendish practices are regarded as lawful under the new
adopted
>policy, but rescuing lions from this awful industry will bring all the
force
>of government down upon you. Ask the Enkosini trustees who saved eight
>lions from going the way of all lion-flesh in SA and set about caring
for
>them in a large veld camp on their 6000 hectare game preserve near
>Lydenburg. First, Enkosini was invaded in para-military fashion by
abusive
>louts in Mpumalanga Parks Board uniforms, who subsequently confiscated
the
>poor lions just two weeks before the High Court was due to rule on
whether
>the refusal by MPB to grant permits to Enkosini was lawful. Ripping
the
>lions out of a safe and happy environment on the eve of Court
proceedings
>was cruel and unnecessary and might even constitute an abuse of the
process
>of the Court. And the fact that the NSPCA stood by and did nothing was
a
>shameful betrayal of those eight lions.
>
>· Next, the hunting of captive-bred large predators will be permitted
if any
>provincial nature conservation official (who has no knowledge of or
training
>in rehabilitation) certifies that the target animal has been
"rehabilitated
>to wild status."
>We must understand the mentality of most provincial nature
conservation
>officials, and their incestuous relationship with the hunters, to
appreciate
>what a misleading condition this is.
>These officials believe that hunting is conservation.
>Such beliefs are held so fanatically that anyone who questions them,
such as
>Enkosini, is subjected to an Inquisition, and attacked as a 'radical',
>'extremist', 'greenie' or 'bunnyhugger'. Many provincial conservation
>officials are themselves professional hunters with a financial
interest in
>the hunting industry.
>
>First, look who has created this mess. From 300 animals in 1997, the
number
>of lions in captivity has grown to over 3,500 - and this number
increases by
>the day. Near us in the Kalahari is a breeder with about 500 lions.
One
>man. 500 lions. Captive breeding/canned hunting is the illegitimate
child
>of provincial nature conservation officials. These same officials, who
>helped found the practice of canned hunting; who nurtured and
protected the
>industry from public criticism; whose hostility to animal welfare is
>notorious, are now suddenly granted powers to decide if a predator
target
>has been 'rehabilitated back to the wild'. This is like asking Al
Capone's
>henchmen to monitor his activities.
>
>Second, these same officials have for decades refused to allow
rehabbers to
>rehab large predators for the reason "that no large predator can ever
by
>properly rehabbed back to the wild". Now that it suits the favoured
hunting
>industry, they put their case in reverse and solemnly declare that a
lion
>can be certified rehabilitated back to wild status after only six
months.
>What hypocrisy. This provision alone reveals the fraudulent intention
of
>the policy.
>
>· The next item of the Policy is the expansion of the captive breeding
for
>the hunting industry to include not only lions but also other large
>predators, including endangered species such as wild dogs. Look at the
>absolute contempt for public opinion: Having provoked the anger of the
>general public by the cruelty of their canned lion hunting methods,
the lion
>breeders are now rewarded by being permitted to extend their cruel
>activities to other large predator species. And of course this is just
the
>beginning. Soon all our wildlife species will be found in factory
farms,
>grim buildings scattered across our hillsides, being bred like pigs in
>crates.
>
>· Now let us talk about animal welfare under the new policy, which
permits
>large predators to be kept in captivity for commercial purposes i.e.
hunting
>but not for welfare purpose. i.e. Wildlife sanctuaries will continue
to be
>prohibited. So you can shoot all the predators you like, but Heaven
help
>you if you try to protect and show kindness to them.
>
>There is a deafening silence in the policy on the subject of
regulating the
>conditions under which captive predators are kept to ensure that both
the
>physical and emotional needs of such animals are properly addressed.
>
>a) Dealing first with regulating the conditions under which animals
ought to
>be kept, there is no excuse for the nature conservation authorities to
shrug
>off their responsibilities to protect captive predators. The absence
of any
>protective clauses in the permits granted to breeders leaves the whole
area
>of welfare of captive animals in the discretion of the breeders
themselves.
>Since their main motive is profit, and welfare measures such as larger
camps
>cost money, there is an obvious conflict here which, in the nature of
>things, will redound to the suffering of animals.
>
>b) Here is a true story. Recently, a well-known lion breeder in the
>Limpopo province who featured unfavourably in the Cook Report, decided
his
>lions were costing him too much to feed. So he fed them a pelleted
food,
>like dog food, as a substitute for a natural diet. Not surprisingly,
their
>hair and teeth fell out and in the end, 89 of his lions died by
poisoning.
>Again, where were the officials? Where was the NSPCA. Where is all
this
>monitoring and regulating that the new policy must rest upon to be
credible?
>Why have his permits to keep predators not been withdrawn? The policy
under
>review makes no provision for enforcing dietary or other welfare
standards.
>
>c) Abdicating all animal welfare concerns to the NSPCA is a
meaningless
>gesture, to the knowledge of all concerned. The NSPCA does not have
the
>resources on top of its existing workload to monitor the conditions of
>thousands of lions who are spread around at least five provinces.
>Finally, much nonsense has been published about this terrible policy
by
>journalists who have not done their homework. For example, The London
Times
>(9th Aug 2003) gives the impression that the South African Government
has
>taken a progressive step in banning canned hunting. As you can now
see,
>nothing could be further from the truth. This policy is a cynical,
>technically crafted sleight of hand designed to do precisely what it
does. .
>. to deceive you.
>
>The so-called reforms are misdirected, limited and utterly
unenforceable.
>Which is precisely why they have been enacted. There was never any
>intention of stopping the cruelty, just the criticism. They are simply
>paying lip service to the concerns of decent people around the world.
>This policy is nothing less than a fraud upon the public, and it shows
that
>the SA conservation regime is merely a protection racket for the
canned
>hunting business. Al Capone would have loved it.
>
>ECOTERRA Intl.
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