The Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa

The report investigates the captive predator breeding industry in South Africa, specifically focusing on lions. It challenges industry claims of economic significance and conservation value, arguing that the industry relies on deceptive marketing to attract volunteer tourists and supplies the 'canned hunting' and lion bone trades. The author contends that the industry lacks scientific grounding, suffers from genetic inbreeding, and may facilitate organised crime through the legal export of lion skeletons to Asia. The paper suggests that the opportunity costs—including damage to South Africa's tourism brand and the loss of potential jobs from ethical ecotourism—outweigh the industry's private returns, recommending a move toward a zero export quota for lion derivatives.

• The captive predator breeding industry in South Africa provides no genuine conservation value, and claims to the contrary are not supported by peer-reviewed literature.
• The industry's economic significance is likely overstated; the author estimates that transforming 81 predator interaction facilities into larger wilderness landscapes for ecotourism could create approximately 608 direct permanent jobs, potentially supporting 1,800 total jobs with a multiplier of three.
• Volunteer tourism in the industry crowds out local labour, with an estimated 84 permanent jobs potentially foregone because foreign volunteers pay to perform work that would otherwise be supplied by local workers.
• The South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) increased the annual lion skeleton export quota from 800 to 1,500 in July 2018 without public consultation or scientific substantiation.
• Legal exports of lion skeletons may serve as a laundering channel for illegal wildlife trade and may stimulate demand for wild felid parts in East-Southeast Asia.
• Captive-bred lion populations suffer from significant genetic impairment and inbreeding, making them unsuitable for reintroduction into the wild.
• The industry relies on deceptive practices, including misleading volunteer tourists about the conservation purpose of cub-petting and selling 'canned' hunts as 'wild' hunts.
• There are documented links between some members of the South African Predator Association (SAPA) and international organised crime syndicates involved in rhino horn and lion bone trafficking.
• The existence of the captive predator breeding industry may damage South Africa's overall tourism brand, potentially leading to significant revenue losses if ethically conscious high-income tourists avoid the destination.

APA

Harvey, R. (n.d.). The Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picking-a-bone-with-captive-predator-breeding-in-South-Africa.pdf

Chicago

Harvey, Ross. The Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picking-a-bone-with-captive-predator-breeding-in-South-Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harvey |first1=Ross |title=The Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picking-a-bone-with-captive-predator-breeding-in-South-Africa.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harveyndeconomics, author = {Harvey, Ross}, title = {{The Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picking-a-bone-with-captive-predator-breeding-in-South-Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }