In major move, South Africa to end captive lion industry

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy South Africa says it will end its captive lion industry in a major move for conservation that would outlaw the heavily criticized “canned hunting” of the big cats and sale of their bones, as well as popular tourist experiences like petting cubs. Lions are kept in unhealthy and unethical conditions, conservationists say, and bred to ultimately be killed and their parts sold for trophies or for use in traditional medicines in Asia South Africa had made “a courageous decision” to end it, said Dr. Neil D’Cruze, the head of wildlife research at World Animal Protection “This is no longer viewing the animals as commodities and how you can profit from them." It’s the only country doing "intense breeding of lions,” said Neil Greenwood of the International Fund for Animal Welfare South Africa's policy change was announced by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy on Sunday after a yearlong study by a panel of experts. There are around 3,000 lions in the wild or conservation parks in South Africa, de Waal said, showing how the focus had become skewed toward breeding them in captivity.