News
20 Sept 2024
Urgent Notice: Strict Adherence to Biosecurity Measures for Sales Agents and Farmers
The Department of Agriculture and the Directorate of Animal Health are concerned about reports of sales agents from various agricultural companies visiting farms within and outside the Disease Management Area (DMA) amidst the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
03 Apr 2024
Cabinet Approves Updated Policy on Sustainable Conservation of Elephants, Lions, Leopards, and Rhinoceroses
South Africa, renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and high levels of endemism, shoulders the responsibility of conserving and sustainably managing its wildlife for the benefit of all its citizens and future generations.
03 Apr 2024
STATEMENT BY MINISTER BARBARA CREECY ON THE RELEASE OF REPORT OF THE MINISTERIAL TASK TEAM ON VOLUNTARY EXIT OPTIONS AND PATHWAYS FROM CAPTIVE LION INDUSTRY
I have today, released the report of the Ministerial Task Team on Voluntary Exit Options and Pathways from the Captive Lion Industry. Cabinet has approved the release of the report and its recommendations for implementation.
16 Sept 2017
SAPA Aids in Search for Lions on the Loose in the Fochville Area
Early this week news broke in the media about lions roaming around the Fochville area. Some alleged that there were 5 lions on the loose, leaving a trail of destruction and terror in their wake. Predictably, the captive lion industry was slammed and blamed for the presence of these extremely dangerous, supposedly escaped animals.
12 Jul 2017
Video Footage of Cubs Changes Conversation about Captive-bred Lions
The South African Predator Association is delighted to take note of recent video footage confirming the birth of wild lion cubs produced by parents born and raised in captivity. Three short videos have been recorded on cell-phone by a ranger of The Reserve where the lions had been released on 14 December 2016
29 Jun 2017
SAPA Supports Minister in Lion Bones Quota
The SOUTH AFRICAN PREDATOR ASSOCIATION fully supports the minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, in her decision to establish a quota for the exporting of captive-bred lion bones to Asia and other regions. The decision followed a thorough, transparent and scientific process and was made in accordance with a CITES resolution made at the COP 17 in 2016. SAPA lauds the minister for unflinchingly following through with the decision to announce the quota
18 Apr 2017
Cecil's cousins are dying
An animal dying of poison suffers a horrifying death. Arteries and veins rupture, blood becomes slush, organs send distress signals in the form of intense flashes of pain, nausea rises like a tide… it is a death many times worse than being struck by a heavy, hurtling bullet; or a crossbow bolt as was the case with Cecil the Lion.
13 Apr 2017
SAPA perturbed by lion’s attack on boy
The South African Predator Association learnt with alarm about the attack by a male lion on an 11-year-old boy in the Lephalale-district over the weekend. The boy, Kristian Prinsloo, is currently still in a critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria. SAPA extends its sympathy and support to Kristian and his family and joins them in fervently hoping for his rapid recovery from injury
02 Apr 2017
SAPA's response to reports of donkey abattoir on lion farm
According to recent reports the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has temporarily closed down an abattoir which contravened provincial regulations by butchering donkeys in a facility designed to slaughter cattle, sheep and goats in the Tosca district of Northwest Province. This abattoir is reportedly on a "lion farm."
13 Feb 2017
Bones of Contention
During the recent Conference of the Parties, COP 17, CITES granted South Africa the opportunity to establish an export quota for the bones of captive bred lions. The much-maligned Department of Environmental Affairs immediately set about determining what the extent of this quota should be in a thorough, measured manner. They have yet to furnish a definitive answer. Yet, animal rights activists have responded with a huge measure of hysteria in a number of published articles
20 Nov 2016
Hunters Association to defend its decision on captive-bred lions - News 24
The South African Predator Association(SAPA) has taken note of a press release ("HUNTERS ASSOCIATION TO DEFEND ITS DECISION ON CAPTIVE-BRED LIONS- NEWS24") issued by the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA). SAPA is of the opinion that some people may find the choice of words in the title of PHASA’s press release somewhat misleading. SAPA wishes to make it clear that it had no participation in any court proceedings.
02 Sept 2016
Anti-hunters smear SAPA member
Another week, another botched media hatchet job on legitimate lion farmers and the South African Predator Association. An internet writer of sorts, one Stephen Wiggins, penned a rambling, disjointed, poorly researched piece and named it 'Canned' Hunting – The 'End Game.' This dreary bit of penmanship he splashed on IWB's website. They are another of those organizations with no understanding of wildlife management goes around begging for money
16 Aug 2016
Three desert lions killed in the Kunene Region, Namibia
The South African Predator Association would like to express its utmost dismay and disappointment about the recent killing of 3 of the desert lions featured in the well-known documentary film Vanishing Kings. The burnt remains of these precious lions were discovered near Tomakas in the Kunene region of Namibia. They were allegedly poisoned by semi-nomadic cattle farmers after some stock losses had occurred.
05 Aug 2016
Fleecing the rhino
The thing about rhinos is, they eat a lot and they eat every day. They don't skip for Christmas, New Year's or for 67 minutes on 18 July. They eat all the time. So, now if you have a local government election to rig, you know, there are just so many hours in every day and feeding the rhinos is all of a sudden not that important. Not to Daniel Ngwenya, the municipal manager of the Nkomazi district.
13 Jul 2016
Lion Crisis - SAPA to the rescue!
When there is a crisis with lions in South Africa, there is a huge hue and cry with animal rights activists ostentatiously tearing their clothes and beating their chests, peppering social media platforms with dire threats against farmers and pointing futile fingers.
07 Jul 2016
SAPA deeply concerned over state of malnourished lions in Limpopo
The South African Predator Association has learnt with great dismay of the appalling predicament of the lions belonging to, as far as our information stretches, Mr Walter Slippers of Ingogo Safaris in Limpopo. Mr Slippers is not, nor has he ever been, a member of our association. We believe that the future of the lion in South Africa can only be assured if committed farmers are allowed to carefully breed and utilize this marvelous species in a sustainable, responsible manner.
26 May 2016
Is the lion the new rhino?
Lion breeders are bracing themselves while conservation officials are keeping an uneasy eye on the situation. This is the third of these brutal incidents in less than a week. Once is an event and twice a coincidence; now there is real concern that these are the first occurrences of what could be a rash of lion killings. Is poaching coming to the domain of the lion?