South Africa's Big Cat Industry is Out of Control

South Africa's Big Cat Industry is Out of Control

In South Africa, ineffective and fragmented regulations for non-native big cats such as tigers has allowed tiger farming to flourish. As a result, the country’s big cat industry is a source of illegal trade where tigers can be farmed, killed, and traded with ease. Captive animals are exploited, and their wild populations are threatened.

“The high demand for tiger parts has contributed to the decline of the species in many of its native habitats, due to poaching for trade, leading opportunistic criminals and the traditional medicine industry to turn to other big cat species as tiger substitutes. There is mounting evidence that tigers from captive facilities are also entering illegal trade...” - Vanessa Amoroso, Head of Wild Animals in Trade at FOUR PAWS International

How widespread is this issue?

An analysis of global tiger seizures over a 19-year period (2000-2018) shows at least 2,359 tigers were seized in 1,142 incidents across 32 countries and territories. For reference, recent figures from the South African government state that there are 600 tigers in South Africa but this number is impossible to calculate as no one knows how many are kept with no registry of births and deaths. Plus, there are 3x more tigers in captivity globally than in the wild.

FOUR PAWS’ new report examines the country’s involvement in the commercial exploitation, legal and illegal trade of big cat species.

Our Breaking Research Highlights the Current Situation in South Africa: 3 Active Networks in the Legal and Illegal Trade of Big Cats

Our breaking 2023-2024 report identified 103 facilities in South Africa that keep or have kept tigers within the last three years and criminal trade networks that can be divided into three interconnected groups. Some operate within existing legislation and policy, while others engage in trafficking, killing, and processing tigers and their parts for export.

Below are all networks benefitting from South Africa’s ineffective enforcement and profiting off the exploitation and trade of animals:

• Network 1: Interlinked criminal syndicates breeding tigers across the Free State, North West, and Limpopo provinces. These criminals are also tied to rhino horn trafficking, with connections to illegal trade hotspots in Asia.

• Network 2: South African wildlife traders who breed intensively for profit and export. They own and are Directors of some of the largest facilities that are open to the public and offer animal interactions. They also facilitate end-to-end services for smuggling tigers worldwide.

• Network 3: South African group of breeders and traders suspected of moving tigers within Southern Africa. Operating multiple facilities with large-scale breeding and links to criminal groupings, with strong links to rhino trafficking.

The networks of big cat breeders, traders, and traffickers operating within and from South Africa are not only accelerating the decline of big cat populations globally but also exacerbating crime and corruption within the country.

South Africa’s Ineffective Legislation is Perpetuating the Illegal Trade of Big Cats

South Africa currently has a patchwork of provincial regulations relating to tigers and all other big cat species. There are little to no regulations in place relating to the keeping, breeding, hunting, killing, movement, or trading of live tigers or their parts.

There is a history of cases and seizures of big cats and their parts coming from South Africa, caused by the country’s insufficient policy and legislation:

• The Xaysavang network, led by Vixay Keosavang, has been repeatedly connected to the illegal trade of lion bones from South Africa.   

• Chumlong Lemtongthai, an alleged leader of the network, was sourcing big cat bones from South Africa to Asia. 

• Voi Lodge, owned by Vietnamese national Michael Chu, was implicated in illegal wildlife trade. Chu was arrested in 2011 for possession of five rhino horns and was ordered to be deported. The property housed 50 tigers, with evidence of at least one tiger being killed in 2013.  

• In 2021, a Vietnamese national was arrested with lion teeth, claws, and more than 60kg of processed parts, believed to be lion gelatine.

South Africa’s Role in the Global Decline of All Big Cats

Our analysis of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database has identified South Africa as the world’s largest exporter of big cats and their parts. In the last 20 years, export permits from South Africa have been granted for 3,545 live big cats and 34,246 big cat parts. Trade routes exist between South Africa and the world’s hotspot areas for consumer demand in big cat parts, including for use in traditional medicines and as so-called luxury items.

Despite being a global player in the big cat trade, South Africa is failing to implement some relevant big cat Decisions and Resolutions adopted at CITES, and compromising conservation and enforcement efforts related to big cats around the world. The country has been a Party to CITES since 1975, nevertheless, it has permitted the captive breeding of tigers for commercial purposes for almost 30 years and has been supplying tigers to Asian markets for at least 20 years.

Nearly every stage of a big cat’s life is commodified and almost every part of a big cat’s body is used. As the demand for a tiger’s parts is so high, there is a significant threat for almost all big cat species whose bones, teeth, and other parts resemble those of a tiger. This demand is already fueling poaching across many countries and trafficking, threatening all big cat species.

South Africa’s captive big cat industry hinders conservation efforts, by supplying and stimulating consumer demand and contributing to illegal trade. The expansiveness of this cruel exploitation cannot be understated—from Peru to Thailand, from Pakistan to Laos, big cats are being commodified all over the world and South Africa is the biggest exporter of these big cats as shown in the “Dethroned” documentary.

However, the outlook for big cats does not have to be so grim!

Our Recommendations for Big Cats

Our report sets out recommendations for South Africa to tackle the issue and phase out the industry: 

• South Africa to prohibit all commercial trade of big cats, parts and derivatives within, into and from the country. 

• South Africa to end the captive keeping of all big cats for commercial purposes, close captive big cat facilities, end the intensive breeding of big cats in controlled environments, and end the commercial exploitation of captive and captive-bred big cats. 

• South Africa phases out its big cat industry, implementing a phase-out plan with goal of a complete closure by 2030. 

• South Africa to implement all relevant CITES Decisions and Resolutions relating to big cats. 

• South Africa takes the leading role in advocating for the protection of all big cats by proposing that they be granted the same level of protection under CITES. 

For more details, read the full report here.

You can make a difference. If you see a big cat in a dire situation, use our Big Cat Reporting Tool. Actively contribute to the protection of these wild animals so we can raise the issue with government officials.

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