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Operators in the captive lion trade will be offered a voluntary exit from the business, environment minister Barbara Creecy says.
As of Friday, Creecy is seeking nominations for a task team to look at the details.
A previous panel suggested that captive lions should be put down.
That is not necessarily the path the government will take.
Those that take up such an offer may find their way smoothed through sponsorship. Those that do not may face new regulations aimed at securing the welfare of their lions.
The captive lion trade features everything from animals bred and slaughtered for their bones to visitor-interaction sites where cuddly cubs can be handled. That – but especially the part of the industry that makes lions available for canned hunting – detract from South Africa's reputation and overall conservation efforts, various groups and bodies have told the government for years.