Protecting South African Lions

Lions in South Africa are essential, both as part of the natural ecosystem and as a symbolic and spiritual part of the national identity. But the launch of the captive lion breeding industry in the 1990s has resulted in a severe welfare crisis for thousands of captive lions in South Africa, and current efforts to reduce lion breeding and its impacts are just not enough.

This became particularly apparent when the South African Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment released a report recommending voluntary exit options for the captive lion industry. While a good stepping stone, World Animal Protection and our partners, Blood Lions South Africa, are advocating for stronger measures.

To explain why, let’s examine the threats facing lions in South Africa, how the captive breeding industry persists despite governmental policies, and what further actions need to be taken to protect South African lions.

Are lions in South Africa threatened?

Lions are wild animals, unsuited for living in captivity or in close proximity to humans. Yet, South Africa currently has more lions living in captivity than it does in the wild — with captive lions outnumbering wild ones roughly three to one.

This disparity exists because, since the early 1990s, South Africa has allowed the captive breeding of lions. The industry initially started to supply hunting operations, but by 2008 it was supplying Southeast Asia with lion bones for traditional medicine and feeding commercial display and entertainment activities, like cub petting and walking with lions, in China, Thailand, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

This increased demand had a devastating effect, substantially increasing the number of captive lions and breeding facilities. Since 2005, there has been a 675% increase in the number of registered facilities (45 to 350) and a 220% increase in the number of lions held in captivity (2,500 to 8,000).

This growing industry poses threats to wild lion conservation. While wild lion populations in South Africa remain generally stable, captive-bred lions provide little conservation value because they are not suitable for release into wild populations. Instead, the commercial trade can increase demand for lion products, create opportunities for bones from wild lions to enter legal trade, and divert enforcement and conservation resources away from wild populations.

What measures were put in place to help South African lions?

When Blood Lions South Africa’s award-winning documentary premiered in 2015 and exposed the harmful effects of captive lion breeding, new governmental policies were implemented to help South African lions — though progress has been slow and contested.

In 2019, the High Court declared the lion bone export quota unlawful and unconstitutional because authorities had failed to factor in animal welfare. While consecutive zero quotas effectively halted legal bone exports, the illegal trade in lion bones continues due to weak enforcement.

In 2021, the government pledged to end the exploitation of captive lions, including through captive lion breeding, and shut down the facilities that housed them.

By 2022, however, this commitment shifted towards creating "a voluntary exit strategy and pathways" for facility owners.

While these steps acknowledged the crisis, relying heavily on voluntary measures implied a lack of political will for swift, mandatory enforcement.

In 2024, a cabinet-approved ministerial report set out a formal pathway to phase out the captive lion industry.

Momentum continued as South Africa's National Council of Provinces unanimously approved a draft notice prohibiting the establishment of new captive lion breeding facilities.

While animal welfare groups welcomed these milestones, they continually call for legally binding timeframes to phase out existing facilities and end the industry.

Is captive lion breeding in South Africa still a problem?

In partnership with Blood Lions South Africa, World Animal Protection has been working with credible sources (who must remain anonymous for their own safety) to investigate how captive lion breeding is changing in South Africa. Our findings are shocking.

Despite the proposed phase-out, opportunities for lion farmers to legally provide canned hunts and trade lion bones domestically remain. This highlights the need for urgent action.

Canned hunting

Canned hunting involves lions being hunted by tourists for trophies in small enclosures, sometimes as little as a single hectare. Because these lions are often habituated to humans, the hunts can offer little opportunity for a fair chase. Investigations have documented instances where lions were tracked and hunted within hours of release, or even tranquilised to make them easier targets.

Government statements around breeding captive lions in South Africa aren’t slowing these activities down. Instead, facilities continue to anticipate demand from trophy hunters.

After being hunted, captive lions are processed and harvested for their skin, paws, skull, and bones, which will be sold off to collectors or commercial buyers. 

Organised crime and exploitation

The lion bone industry is extremely lucrative, attracting the attention of organised crime. Groups who trade in South African lion bones often also sell rhino horns and other illegal animal body parts internationally. We found evidence of shell companies being used to export lion bones and potentially launder the profits.

Sources fear for their safety if they speak out

In line with other sectors affected by organised crime, workers in captive lion farming facilities can face unsafe conditions and have few rights. Our sources were justifiably afraid of reprisals against themselves or their families for speaking to us.

Without transparent record-keeping and safe channels for whistleblowers to raise concerns, it’s difficult to be sure of the true scale of the problem. Corruption within law enforcement further complicates efforts to protect captive lions.

Risks to lion welfare and public health

Wildlife farming, including captive lion breeding, can pose serious risks to animal welfare as well as public health. We saw evidence of lions living in tiny enclosures in extremely poor health with little or no veterinary care. These conditions were associated with disease, as well as abnormal behaviours including self-mutilation and excessive aggression.

Lions in these conditions can carry pathogens that may spread within facilities and affect both lions and humans. Research has identified 63 pathogens that affect African lions, including some that can be transmitted to humans. Close contact between lions and people, combined with inadequate biosecurity and safety measures, can increase risks. 

Poorly maintained facilities can also create risks when lions escape from their enclosures. Such incidents can put workers and people living nearby at risk.

Other species impacted

South African lions aren’t the only species being exploited at these facilities. Cheetahs, tigers, leopards, wolves, and even jackals have also been reported at captive wildlife facilities. Given the secrecy involved in this trade, more species may be affected.