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John Varty & Tiger Canyon
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Safari Club International Bans Canned Lion Hunting
Hello Friends The decision by Safari Club International to ban canned lion hunting, has sent shock waves through the hunting community in South Africa. Canned lion hunting exists in virtually every province in South Africa and was born in the province of the Free State, where Tiger Canyons is situated. Safari Club International is by far the biggest hunting organization in the world. It has no less that 180 chapters with over 50,000 members. Most of the hunters that sustained the canned lion industry year after year, were from the USA. Hunters from Europe and elsewhere, also came to do canned lion hunts, but the USA is the main source of hunters. The Safari Club International decision does a number of things. Firstly, it prevents any advertising of canned lion hunting at its conventions. Secondly it sends out a powerful message to its hunters that a canned lion hunt is not be recognized as a sporting hunt. The ban cuts to the very psyche of the hunter. In shooting your lion in a canned lion hunt, you have taken no personal risk, you have exposed yourself to no danger, you have not entered a “Fair Chase” with the lion. This is the equivalent of saying to an Olympic athlete you won the gold medal at the Olympics, but you took drugs, you cheated, I am stripping you of your title. In South Africa there are between 7000 and 8000 lions in captivity, mostly males being bred for the canned lion industry. In the Free State there are 6 lion breeding operations that have many lions at their facility. The feeding costs to support these lions is extremely high. If the major supply of hunters from the USA dries up, these lion breeders will not be able to sustain. There is no emotion attached to these lions, they are purely commodities to be shot when heir manes are at their peak. If there are no hunters forthcoming to the lion breeders, they will have few options: a. Look for other markets. This will be time consuming and costly. b. Sell lion hunts to South African hunters at discounted prices. This will not be viable. c. Euthanize their lions and sell the body parts to China. (These body parts will be relabeled Tiger Body parts when they arrive in China) I predict that the lion breeders will go for the third option and cash in. This means the body parts of several thousand lions may be flowing to China (It is still legal to export lion body parts from South Africa). I have filmed and photographed the lions in captivity in the Free State. Some of the most magnificent specimens are in cages, waiting to be shipped out to be hunted in canned hunts. Male lion with belly manes stretching halfway down their bodies, are pacing up in down in cages. (Hunters pay more for a belly mane) If these lions were reintroduced into the wilds, they would make the most fabulous tourist attractions. People would flock to photograph and film them. To the south of Tiger Canyons exists an area of 36,000 hectares. This area already has a predator proof fence around it. Call this area A. The habitat is entirely suitable for a cooperative predator like a lion to operate successfully. (Large prides of lions existed in the area before the advent of sheep farming). The area to the north of Tiger Canyons is 15,000 hectares, also with a predator proof fence enclosing it. Call this area B. If area A and area B were added onto Tiger Canyons (area C), then a block of 65,000 hectares could be established. Some 100 lions that will perish when canned hunting goes bankrupt, can be relocated to this park. Leopards can be introduced into the park. Tiger and cheetah populations already exist. In short we have a chance of achieving a park where lion, leopard, tiger and cheetah all co-exist. This is identical to the mission statement that I wrote in 2000. I’m appealing to photographers, conservationists, filmmakers, businessmen, musicians and philanthropists around the world to help me make the mission statement become a reality. A park with tiger (listed as highly endangered), cheetah (listed as threatened), lion (greatly reduced) and leopard, all co-existing, would surely be worthy of a world heritage site. Safari Club International has given us a massive opportunity, let’s use it! If anyone is able to assist in this bold project, please contact me: [email protected] Tread Lightly on the Earth JV |
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