By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is finalising regulations to phase out harmful captive lion breeding practices and reinforcing animal well-being.
The captive lion breeding industry in South Africa has for years drawn international criticism for its ethical breaches, legal irregularities and failure to meet even the most basic standards of animal welfare.
In 2022, a ministerial task team, initiated by the then minister, Barbara Creecy, outlined a clear roadmap to phase out the industry. This included a moratorium on breeding, an end to lion bone stockpiling and a halt to issuing new permits.
In 2022 alone, NSPCA inspectors carried out 176 inspections at predator breeding facilities. The violations they uncovered included underweight and malnourished lions, unpotable water, unhygienic enclosures and untreated infections.
Images in Parliament showed lions lying on faeces in their feeding areas, and cubs cowering in a corner infested with ticks and maggots.
Despite the shocking conditions and the huge effort put in by NSPCA inspectors, convictions are rare and toothless, with very few in recent years. One lion breeder was fined just R4,000 or a 12-month suspended sentence. Another walked away with a R2,500 fine after being convicted of gross cruelty.
The department has announced significant progress toward the publication of a Prohibition Notice that will ban the establishment of new captive lion breeding facilities in South Africa.
This decisive step forms part of broader efforts to phase out intensive breeding practices for commercial gain and to strengthen the country’s biodiversity laws under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM:BA), 2004.
“By prohibiting new captive lion breeding facilities and addressing critical animal well-being provisions in the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations to be published in due course, we are committed to enforcing clear, effective, and legally robust measures that protect South Africa’s natural heritage and address concerns raised by the public, conservation experts, and stakeholders,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said.
The Lion Prohibition Notice implements a key recommendation from the Ministerial Task Team Report and in line with the objectives of the Policy Position on the conservation and Sustainable use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard, and Rhinoceros.
The Notice prohibits the establishment of new captive lion facilities for commercial purposes, aligning with global conservation standards and ethical wildlife management practices.
Since the Notice was tabled before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 10 June 2025, the required 30-day consideration period has passed.
The Minister said the department has completed critical administrative steps for promulgation by the Executive Authority.
Additionally, the department is engaging provincial Members of the Executive Council (MECs) under Section 87A (3) of NEM:BA to facilitate implementation of this Prohibition Notice.
The Minister will provide further updates at stakeholder engagements, including the upcoming G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting in Kruger National Park.
“We are building a regulatory foundation that prioritises animal wellbeing, biodiversity protection, and practical enforcement. The department remains fully committed to finalising and implementing these reforms without delay, ensuring a sustainable future for South Africa’s wildlife,” George said.