'Can our canned lion hunting'

As Australia prepares to announce a ban on canned lion-hunting and the importation of hunting trophies, the IFP has renewed its call for similar action in South Africa.

The IFP tabled a motion in parliament yesterday that criticised the government for its failure to impose a ban on "barbaric" canned lion-hunting and the captive breeding of lions, in which the big cats are "bred for the bullet".

"Let us sound the call again to the one who can save our lions. Minister, ban canned lion-hunting," appealed IFP MP Sibongile Nkomo.

This is the second time the IFP has called for the ban in the National Assembly.

Nkomo said the previous motion was "unanimously accepted and adopted by this house. And yet a year down the line the government has failed to respond in any way."

Campaign Against Canned Hunting director Chris Mercer said "an unprecedented ban on the importing of lion trophies and body parts is imminent in Australia" and could be announced there today.

"A massive Global March for Lions is scheduled to take place in Melbourne today and we are expecting the environment minister to make his announcement then," Mercer said.

According to Pieter Potgieter, president of the SA Predator Breeders' Association, more than 1000 lions were killed by hunters in North West in 2013 and probably a similar number last year.

Department of Environmental Affairs figures show that lion hunting was the biggest contributor to South Africa's revenue from hunting in 2012, which in total raised R111-million from 8000 hunters who shot 40000 wild animals.

There are about 8000 lions bred in captivity in South Africa, and about 3000 wild lions in protected areas, in which hunting is prohibited.

• Cape Town's Global March for Lions is tomorrow. Mercer will hand a petition calling for an end to lion hunting to IFP parliamentary chief-of-staff Anthony Mitchell, who will deliver it to Speaker of Parliament Baleke Mbete.

Johannesburg's Global March for Lions will take place outside The Lion Park, at Fourways, on Saturday next week.