Captive lions are lions born in captivity on lion farms in South Africa. The cubs are usually removed from the mother far too soon so that she unnaturally breeds again quickly.

The cubs are cared for by volunteers who pay handsomely for the opportunity and when the lions are too big to cuddle some are killed by trophy hunters. This is known as the captive lion trophy hunting industry.

Between August 2018 and the 7th of April 2021, there were 827 shipments or exports of captive lion body parts from South Africa.

THE LION BONE TRADE

Despite the announcement by the Minister, and given the High Court Judgment, that there was no lion bone quota established or approved for 2019, the data, which has been translated into this documentation, from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment states otherwise.

The captive lions that are not killed by hunters often live in squalid or unsatisfactory conditions and then they are killed, not always humanely and their bones are exported for use in traditional medicine.

THE LIVE LION TRADE

Lion breeders also export live animals around the world. These lions are exported to zoos to countries that do not have strict animal welfare regulations.

Primarly, in 2019, 217 live captive lions were exported from the Free State, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo Provinces.

In June 2018 KZN Province exported 8 wild lions to Mozambique.

For further information: info@emsfoundation.org.za

DISCLAIMER: The Data that was analysed by the EMS Foundation was received from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

IMAGE CREDITS: Naashon Zalk/Getty Images; Xpose Trophy Hunting/Twitter; Ban Animal Trading South Africa, South African Police Services

©The EMS Foundation 2021. All Rights Reserved.