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The Department of Forestry, Fishery and the Environment will no longer permit the export of lion bones.

Unless effective, broad-scale programmes by local and international NGOs operating in Africa are implemented and supported and augmented by local governments, lions will decline further

It might sound like a paradox: to save a species, we must use it. This concept, known as “sustainable use,” is often misunderstood, sparking emotional debates filled with charged, misrepresentative images of hunters and endangered animals. Yet, in South Africa, this very principle has been the engine behind one of the world’s most remarkable conservation success stories, turning the tide for species once on the brink of extinction.

SA’s trophy hunting quotas spark legal battles and civil society backlash.

Lion that once roamed northern Africa has been extinct in the wild since 1960s

July 2025 marks ten years since the legal and controversial hunting of “Cecil,” a lion from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park whose death was used to ignite global outrage.

For conservationists against the captive lion industry, this decision is a milestone in the fight to protect Africa’s most iconic predators.

"This is a turning point in the way we think about conserving our wildlife." By limiting the breeding of lions in captivity, we can help ensure a more sustainable and ethical future for these animals. ”

Minister Dion George is advancing efforts to protect South Africa’s wildlife by phasing out harmful captive lion breeding practices and reinforcing animal well-being through updated regulations.

A new study shows the local hunting industry’s important economic footprint.

Reporting on his first year in office, Dion George was clear, firm, and unapologetic. Whether his promises will be backed by policy, enforcement, and legislative clarity remains to be seen.

In recent decades, the wild population and range of lions has steadily decreased. Lions are currently listed as globally vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This decline is linked to the trade in body parts (bones, meat, trophies), partially as a replacement for tiger body parts, as well as the export of live animals for the pet and entertainment industry.

Officially, an estimated 8 761 lion skeletons have been exported from South Africa since 2008 but there is evidence that bone sales have not only continued illegally but escalated.

By sticking to a narrow interpretation of export permit requirements, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George is missing a golden opportunity to end the rampant exploitation of tigers in South Africa, and create international goodwill.

A 14-year-old girl has been killed by a lion on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said.

The True Green Alliance (TGA) is gravely concerned about reports of widespread ecological degradation and the devastating loss of wildlife, particularly elephants, in the Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province.

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Luister na die volle gesprek

Read more about the export quotas

Shuttering commercial lion industry, as Dion George wants, will devastate lion populations, rural livelihoods, and SA’s conservation legacy