ANIMAL PROTECTION ORGANISATIONS VOW TO VOCIFEROUSLY OPPOSE ATTEMPT BY BREEDERS AND DEALERS TO REOPEN SOUTH AFRICA’S LION BONE TRADE 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A legal case has been filed in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, involving the South African Predator Association (SAPA) and several individuals against the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, the Director-General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, and the Scientific Authority.  

The applicants seek a court order to compel Minister Dion George to establish and declare an annual export quota for lion bones and derivatives for the years 2024 and 2025, arguing that the failure to do so is unlawful and has caused significant economic harm.  

The document includes detailed affidavits, permits, and records related to the breeding and hunting of lions, as well as the legal and regulatory framework governing the trade in lion derivatives. The applicants argue that the Minister’s inaction has led to a large stockpile of lion bones, which lose value over time, and that the export of these derivatives is essential for their livelihoods and the conservation of wild lions.  

The document also contains various tables, letters of demand, responses from the Department, and confirmatory affidavits from various applicants supporting the legal action. The Department acknowledges the receipt of the demand and states that quotas for previous years cannot be set retrospectively.  The matter is currently under consideration following a recent court judgment.

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EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading Official Response to the Litigation

Ban Animal Trading (BAT) and the EMS Foundation have become aware that the South African Predator Association(SAPA), based purely on economic grounds, has instituted High Court action against the Minister of Environment and his department to compel the Minister to establish an annual quota for lion bones and derivatives.

No quota has been set for the international trade in lion skeletons since 2019. Ten of the eleven applicants have stockpiles of more than 1 530 sets of lion skeletons altogether. Should the lion bone farmers secure a favourable judgment, each one of the 10 applicants will coin at least seven million rand (R7 000 000.00). Their legal challenge rests on the constitutional protection of economic rights, specifically the right to freely engage in trade, choose an occupation, and practice a profession.

BAT and EMS are repelled by this action from the lion bone farmers, because it is common knowledge that the trade in lion bones is a major ethical, legal and administrative embarrassment for South Africa. This rogue industry has strong links to international criminal networks, provides a legal channel for the trafficking of illegal big cat parts and fuels the demise of wild big cat populations.

Surprisingly, neither SAPA nor the Minister or his Department (DFFE) have disclosed the existence of these legal proceedings. This raises a serious concern from the EMS Foundation and BAT: are the parties making a deal, effectively rubber stamping the commercial exploitation of lions, stimulating the market for their bones and ignoring welfare considerations.

South Africa’s environmental and wildlife policy diminishes majestic wild animals to a mere ‘faunal biological resource’.Their unethical exploitation has been glibly reduced to ‘sustainable use’, which in turn became a byword for attempting to justify rapacious extraction and exploitation. This has led to a range of highly problematic policy positions, which include allowing the burgeoning of the captive lion breeding industry and the stockpiling of lion bones.

The SAPA legal action is a direct result of inaction by DFFE to properly address the issue of lion bone stockpiling and to ensure that this practice is prohibited. Instead of working actively to protect African lions and eliminate demand through prohibiting the stockpiling of lion skeletons, DFFE is supporting, growing and stimulating the demand for lion and other big cat bones in countries that are working hard to eliminate this demand. Keeping lion skeleton stockpiles while advocating against the trade sends mixed signals about the acceptability of lion skeletons as a commodity. A clearer stance through stockpile destruction reinforces that lions (and all wild animals) should not be commercialized.

Government must make policy decisions that are in the public interest. The sale of lion bones is not in the public interest and is unconstitutional. The prioritisation of economic benefits of a handful of people over the public good, public opinion, public heritage and the public future. Research has clearly shown that the legal trade of lion bones is part of the illegal trade. The South African Minister of Environment must set a zero quota for the export of lion bones to remove the financial incentive to circumvent the law.

Both the EMS Foundation and BAT will vociferously oppose any attempt by the lion breeders and dealers to strong arm government into reopening South Africa’s odious international lion bone trade.

Image: ©EMS Foundation 2025.

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