Environment: Wild lions not affected by canned activities

‘There is no evidence to suggest that the lion bone trade between SA and East-Southeast Asia is detrimental to SA’s wild lion population.’ This, notes Pam Saxby for Legalbrief Policy Watch, is according to the findings of a recent assessment of the status of the African lion, which was gazetted last week. Nevertheless, in keeping with an annotation to the appendix listing of the African lion adopted at the 17th conference of parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (Cites) a quota for the export of skeletons derived from captive breeding operations must be established and revised on an annual basis to ensure sustainability; and measures must be implemented to prevent any detrimental impact on wild lion populations. Proposals for the first captive-bred lion skeleton export quota were released in January 2017 for comment and the figure of 800 skeletons approved – with or without the skull.

It has also been established that the practice of exporting captive-bred lion trophies and captive-bred live lion for zoological or propagation purposes has not affected SA’s wild lion population. This is noting that ‘very few wild lions are trophy-hunted’ each year, and that guidelines for lion hunting in the wild are part of the licensing process in each province. Nor, apparently, are there any grounds for concern regarding the export of wild lion when it takes place in terms of Article IV of Cites, which requires the co-operation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation. The country’s national wild lion population is estimated at approximately 2876, with 86% well protected – primarily within the Kruger National Park, the Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park and the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Recent quantitative data from these areas suggests that their lion populations are stable-to-increasing. The findings document nevertheless recommends that lion hunting in reserves smaller than 1000 km² be permitted only where meta-population management is practised – and that guidelines should be developed with that in mind.