At press time, no one I spoke to was willing to speculate how long the delay will last or whether it will turn into a moratorium on the new regulations. For sure, the SAPBA suit is being taken seriously. Many tens of thousands of dollars in hunting and hunting-related revenue are at stake. On the other hand, there is widespread opposition to captive lion hunting in South Africa. Even PHASA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) is an outspoken opponent of the activity, blaming it for an increase in anti-hunting sentiment not just in South Africa but around the world.
Here at The Hunting Report, I take the view that gentlemen can disagree about the ethics of captive lion hunting and still stay friends. I see no value in taking a position that might exacerbate conflicts within the community over this issue. I will note we just received three subscriber-written Hunt Reports on captive lion hunts. The subscribers are Benjamin Leforce (hunted with TAM Safaris; John A. Hoftert (hunted with Deklerk Safaris; and Richard A. Bonander (hunted with Tollie's African Safaris. All three have good things to say about their hunts for lion and other animals. Hoftert goes out of his way to remark favorably on the experience of taking his lion, calling it a huge adrenalin rush/climactic finale that exceeded my optimum expectations of what a dangerous game hunt is all about.
For sure, South African outfitters are going to be pushing captive lion hunts hard at the upcoming conventions, and prices may be all over the map as some outfitters bet on a long-term victory for captive lion hunting, while others, fearing an end to it, try to get rid of lions. My only advice is to be careful here. If you want........(continued)
