Species Locator - Lion |
Trophy Lion hunting information can be found at the following
Global Sporting Safaris Recommended locations:
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CITES: All lion are listed under Appendix II which requires export permits from the country of origin. SCI minimum score: 23"
No entries are accepted from South Africa or Namibia due to the "canned lion saga" |
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 The recent interest in two groups of lion believed to be direct descendants of the Atlas or Barbary lion of north Africa leads one to consider the great variation which occurs in lion populations through Africa.
The lions in question, one male at the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre in South Africa and perhaps more significantly, all the lion at the Rabat Zoo in Morocco. The lion all share traits that set them apart from their sub-Saharan cousins, the lion we are used to seeing and have got used to today.
They are much more stocky in their body structure with broad well defined muzzles and a halo of golden whiskers running around their face. Their manes are extensive, running well back, almost to the extent of their ribcage and range from pitch black to a dark chocolate. A thick mass of hair runs along their belly petering out between the hind legs.
It is thought that the Moroccan lions are direct descendents of the Barbary lion that used to roam north Africa and they have been sold to numerous zoos around the world.
The north African lion are reminiscent of the Cape lion, shot to extinction around the 1850s except the latter was bigger in body and darker in mane. In fact, the Cape lion was probably the most impressive of all African lion in size and by the mane it carried.
The typical lion we see today, coming out of the other sub-Saharan hunting countries like Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana was probably the least impressive of the lion that roamed the continent. The much talked about Kalahari lion of Botswana and Namibia are small fry. Their mane, compared to their northern and southern cousins, is rather dull and sometimes unworthy of the King of Beasts.
So next time you think of "zoo" lions coming out of South Africa, remember that their bloodline originates from the most impressive of all the lion that once roamed the continent, the Cape Lion.
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HABITS : Lion are widespread throughout Africa occurring where water and food is adequate. They are the only social cats and live and hunt in prides sometimes reaching up to 30. Resting in the daytime, they hunt from dusk, stalking prey downwind before the final rush. Common prey are herding animals such as zebra, wildebeest and buffalo, where confusion and panic can be caused. A 200lb Lioness will think nothing of tackling a 2000lb buffalo bull. Lion tend to follow big herds and it is not uncommon to find Lion spoor when on the track of a herd of buffalo. Although not always successful, Lion are extremely efficient hunters and opportunists, often robbing prey and young from cheetah and leopard.
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| THE CALIBER: Lion are soft-skinned animals not requiring large bore calibres and solids. Anything from a .300 Magnum upwards with a heavy grain soft-nosed bullet is more than enough and shots are never at a great distance. |
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THE TROPHY: To the hunter, the ultimate quarry is a large maned lion even though the SCI Measurement is based upon the size of the skull. Mane does vary according to habitat with lion in open savannah or desert-like regions growing larger manes than those found in thicker bush. Often large-bodied Lion do not sport a mane of significance and hunters often mistakenly keep trying until they eventually get "The King". |
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WHERE: Recently the proliferation in safari hunting has resulted in many younger lion being taken. As a rule the number of large maned lion hunted each year is decreasing with hunters having to accept lower trophy standards. However prime concessions still yield large bodied, black maned lion for the hunter who has patience and determination. Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia produce some excellent maned males each year, but this is dependant upon the concession and the PH.
The "canned lion" story surfaced in the British press in the "Cook Report" in 1998 when a journalist accompanied a South African PH on a lion hunt. The video footage was indeed one-sided and propagated, but did show a lioness being shot from a vehicle inside a very small enclosure (which was true). A few clips of meowing cubs were added for emotional effect. The furore led to the suspension of all SCI Record Book entries for lions taken from South Africa and Namibia and rightly so. This year, the South African government is looking at legislation around predator breeding and possible restrictions and regulations. As of February 2005, the debate rages on with emotions running high on all sides. Email us if you want an update of what is happening in South Africa this year.
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THE BOTTOM LINE: Realistically, one only has to look at the game ranching and hunting set-up in South Africa and Namibia, to realise that it is very unlikely that free roaming Lion would still exist on a huntable scale.
Therefore, it would appear that most lion offered for hunting are, or have at some stage been captive, and have been released onto an adequately enclosed area to be hunted. The value of ordinary game makes it unlikely that any economically minded game rancher will allow Lion to roam freely on his ranch while waiting for a foreign hunter to come on safari!
We believe that the lion population within South Africa and Namibia is far healthier than that in other countries (due mainly to Lion breeding programmes) and should be utilised ethically as a sustainable resource. In addition, the trophy quality of Lion in these countries often surpasses that of the rest of Southern Africa in both size and mane. In many cases, the hunting of these Lion can be more challenging than from the safety of a blind 50 yards away using bait and spotlights.
In fact, we are of the opinion that lions hunted in South Africa and Namibia should be ambassadors of wild lion throughout Africa. If lion hunting in these countries is banned, then wild lion populations will take a hit as governments look to cash in on the demand by raising lion quota and pressurising hunting concession owners.
It is ultimately the ethics of you, the hunter, that should be strong enough to realise and dictate the situation of hunting Lion in South Africa and Namibia. |
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