I’m sure this will turn into an interesting thread again. I strongly oppose CBL. You compared CBL to other game animals farmed for hunting but I don’t see comparison. All other PG and buffalo raised for hunting industry are primarily introduced to supplement or start self sustaining populations on fenced properties. Some is used for put and take hunting but the majority has at least some contribution to conservation through hunting. A CBL lion is raised as commercial livestock in unnatural conditions its entire life until it’s released for the harvesting event. The lowest legal requirement is 72 hour release, SAPA standards are 7 days, PHASA is supposedly 28 days but there is no real verification. Regardless of 72 hours or 28 days it’s pure put and take hunting with no intentions of creating a self sustaining population. There is always an effort to make this a debate about high fences instead of a put and take practice. Wild managed lions are lions living inside a high fence farm/reserve but living a wild existence inside the fence. They fight, breed, hunt, form prides like wild lions. Nearly no CBL lions are used for this because the land isn’t there in South Africa that can support lions prides and many land owners aren’t willing to take the financial loss for the game they kill. Lions are declining in the rest of Africa because of habitat loss but all areas that can support lions generally do already. They are not in danger of extinction like rhinos to justify farming to restock wild areas. CBL is also merged with the cub petting industry and Asian lion bone trade which puts CBL shooting by hunters under more of a spotlight. CBL shooting is a farming practices disguised and defended as hunting. The cheaper it got the more supporters it gained. If you look at older threads when the practice was expensive it was a much more civil and logical discussion. The more recent threads once trophy exports stopped and price dramatically fell the discussion changed a lot. The primary justification and defense of hunting in Africa is sustainable quotas give value to the wildlife and allow populations to grow. CBL/Put and Take hunting is contrary to that message and damages the reputation of hunters. It devalues wild lions and gives no incentive for landowners to create self sustaining managed lion populations on farms when they can’t compete with the price of a CBL to justify what lions kill and eat.
This video has been used by CBL supporters in past. I don’t think very many have actually watched it. He’s says there is possibility of using CBL lions to reintroduce into the wild but it hasn’t been done. He also discusses Big 5 reserves in South Africa uses contraceptive measures to keep their wild managed lion numbers in check because there isn’t anywhere to send them.
Here’s how CBL lions are raised prior to release for the shooting event. I think many would have a different opinion of CBL if they picked up and transported their lion to the hunting area before their hunt.
