Thank you Chris for further information and the link to “All Smoke and Mirrors” at http://www.cannedlion.org/content/CACH-news It is an eye-opener and everyone should read and understand it.

“The lions are not 'in the wild' merely in a larger fenced enclosure with a few unfortunate goats or springbok or other 'cheap' animals for them to kill at will. No escape for them from the lions in an enclosure of a few hundred hectares. Canned hunting by proxy, really.”

I hadn’t realized they would be released to just a larger “pen” instead of a cage. I had thought they would actually be freed to a large reserve or park.

“We know of one lion farmer in Limpopo province, who decided that meat
was too expensive so he put his lions onto a diet of processed pellets, like dog
food. The lions' hair fell out and 93 of them died. He was not prosecuted.”

This is truly infuriating. He should have at the very least lost his license to operate a “lion farm” and be forbidden for ever dealing with wildlife or livestock again (along with a humungous fine – large enough to bankrupt him).

“Sport hunting will never be banned in South Africa.”

Well, if a few more videos like one I saw not too long ago of hunters having to shoot over 20 shots into a lion before killing it get out on the internet, it will certainly help to show the barbarity of hunting. Sadly I found myself hoping the lion would be able to kill several of the men before being killed itself.

“What the public should know is that the IUCN is a pro hunting organization”

Just like we need to remember that CITES is a pro-trade organization and not one that cares about wildlife. Most people don’t understand this and think
it is on the behalf of wildlife.

" Hunting is not to blame for the decline in lion numbers in Africa."

BULL! Whether it be from trophy hunters or from the indigenous people hunting and poisoning lions, it is hunting nonetheless. If all that were stopped, the lion
populations would slowly increase instead of declining to extremely low numbers.

"it would know that there is no such thing as a problem animal; there are only problem people. Poor management in farming causes stock losses to predators."

Agree 100%. I’ve seen the puny bomas the Maasai put around their cattle,
goat and homes and any animal could get through them. Then when a carnivore eats several of the cattle or goats the cat gets killed!

"Trophy Hunting ‘generates benefits for poor people to build their
support for lion conservation.’"

Hahaha. We all know that very little of the money received from the hunters goes to support the indigenous people. It all goes into the farm owner’s pockets less a little he pays to bribe officials.

"The solution is surely to assist African governments to improve their land use and management - not to hand over the remaining wilderness areas and wildlife to the tender mercies of the hunting industry."

This is a problem all over Africa, whether there is hunting or not. However, had there been land use policies since Independence, there would still be wildlife corridors available to the wildlife. Instead they are all gone now with more and more shrinking space for wildlife, and thus more and more human-
wildlife conflict.

Chris, you and Bev have been fighting against canned hunting for many years. At times you must feel like bashing your head against the wall because it seems no-one is listening. However, please know that there are many of us who truly do care. We need to understand what is going on, and you have really helped enlighten us. We appreciate this so much. However, we do need guidance from people like you as to what we can do to put pressure on the South African government to help change their thinking, as well as IUCN and other organizations. It must seem hopeless at times.

I hope you will feel free to continue to update us with what is going on and give us links when you post a new update on your website, etc. There are many of us who care deeply but just don’t know where to go or what to do to make our voices heard. Bushdrums, like Facebook, would be only too happy to help you get the word out

Thanks for your kind words.
Now here is something hot off the Press - a demonstration in Cape Town against South Africa's abysmal conservation services on May 13th. Check out the Letter of Demand at http://www.myspace.com/bancannedhunting/blog/542816291

Thanks for all the info Chris and Jan. I read your 2 books sometime back. Bev sent them over to Italy and they were an interesting read - well done. I wish more people could read and more importantly understand!!!!!!

I hope lots of people will turn out for the demonstration in Cape Town about their horrible
wildlife conservation policy. It is long overdue. Hopefully people in charge will start
seeing what is expected of them.

Please just be careful Chris. Where you and Bev are such strong wildlife advocates, you
may have made some enemies along the way. Just be sure to keep your back covered please. Make sure you always have some type of security around you. Please let us know how it turns out. We'll keep our fingers crossed that improvements will come because of the demonstration.

thanks guys for the good wishes. We'll let you know what happens on 13th May.
On the issue of battling a hunting culture, I attended a workshop in Port Elizabeth to put in my two cents worth to protest the decision by Eastern Cape conservation department to allow livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape to sell 'damage causing leopards' to hunters. So setting gin traps was not enough, they wanted to profit from living next to a conservation area which still has a (very small) wild leopard population. Anyway, their spokesman told the meeting (about a hundred people) that if government did not agree to let them sell problem leopards to hunters, the farmers would take matters in to their own hands and 'go in to the Baviaanskloof and kill every leopard there.'

Chris: The more I read the more appalled I get.

You statement "So the policy of South African conservation departments can be summed up thus: If you wish to kill an animal, government will fall over itself to issue you with a hunting permit. But if you want to care for orphaned and injured wildlife, government will do everything in its power to stop you." is mind-bloggling. (see
http://www.cannedlion.org/content/july-26th-2010-how-strangle-animal-welfare)

What is wrong with these people? How can they live with themselves?

The baboon story was heartbreaking considering there were people who would have been willing to take them in.

As to the farmer who wants to kill the leopards, one can only hope one of the leopards will get him first. Perhaps blackmailing officials is the only way to get things done there?

I just posted the link to your above link on Facebook on my profile page hoping a lot of people who might have traveled to South Africa will see how little SA cares for its wildlife and perhaps make the decision to go elsewhere. SA doesn't deserve the tourist dollar!

Corruption is endemic everywhere in Africa, but I have a hard time believing how bad it is and that people with half a brain can't see that they would make far more with wildlife tourism and have people who repeat their trips over and over again. I know I'm going broke with my repeated trips

Thanks again for sharing. Please keep us posted what happens on May 13th. I hope there are a lot of local people who show up to share your deep concerns.