Am I dreaming...?
 

...or did I miss something?

I've just read a small press release, news that normally would cause big headlines in conservation forums and on Fodors. But I found nothing else, only silence...

This press release is from Botswana and was published end of October by the Department of Wildlife:

<font color="green">PRESS RELEASE

SUSPENSION OF THE HUNTING OF LIONS

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks would like to inform the public that it is concerned by the number of lions killed in defence of livestock in certain areas of the country. As a precautionary measure, the Department has taken a decision not to issue any lion hunting quota until further notice.

The Department further wishes to assure the public that appropriate measures are being put in place to reverse the current trends.</font>

<b>Practically this means that we have a lion hunting ban in Botswana now!</b>

Can anyone confirm this? Or am I just dreaming...?

I read the same thing too, a few days ago on the AllAfrica website. I was also waiting to see if someone else would post on it.

I think it's very promising news.

Here's the link to the article:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200711150969.html

If only Namibia would follow suit.....

That's great news that the hunting quota for lions are further suspended. Fantastic!!!

When i was at Duba Plains (long time ago ....2004 thereabouts) i heard that lion hunting was banned for a while and that the people in power in a certain Southern state in the USA really put up their lobby to open up the quotas again. True?

Great news, for the lion prides and further stability ....

Hari

Hopefully, when the lion hunting has been banned ...... most of these weirdos stop going on their hunting trips to Botswana. They won't be happy with impala and buffalo, will they?

If you read it carefully the main problem is not trophy hunting. Hunters got a quota of 1%, but the current loss is 3.5%. Even with the suspension of hunting quotas you still have 2.5% loss caused by human-wildlife conflicts. Not sure how they want to reduce this.

Nyama,

1% saved is still 1% saved. Along, with the entire pride and subsequent pride stability.

In a country like India, where our villages and towns constantly enroach into the wild spaces would have far more conflict between man and beast? A country like Botswana, has fewer people doesn't it, without much population increase?

Btw, this past weekend i was at a dinner party and there was an old bat who kept hopping on the &quot;good old days&quot; and how they would go away on their weekend hunting trips. He still has stuffed animals in his house(mostly deer, but also a tiger). He likes to talk a lot with his glass of scotch, nothing more ...... it sounded pretty tiresome and sad to me!

Hari

2.5% is still too much.

Regarding the old days, this NG article is quite interesting reading,
magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-11/hunters/poole-text.html

nyama: thanks for posting this. It's great news that the Government is being responsive and willing to forego great income by stoping lion hunts but its a terrible reality that predators are killed in large numbers due to conflict with livestock. This happens all over the world and it threatens to destroy virtually all lions that are outside protected wildlife areas. Compensating ranchers for livestock losses has become a popular tool that has had some success but its hard to break through with the ranching culture who have sometimes been at war (in their minds) with predators for a couple hundred years. Big educational efforts are needed along with compensation and even economic incentive when possible to change the mentality and establish a tolerance of predators.

Hari: you are correct that the first George Bush and Stormin Norman lobbied hard to lift the lion hunting ban in Botswana.

Hi nyama, missed this thread, great,thanks for the link!!!

was interested in knowing about your opinion about relocating/selling animals where there is man/animal conflict to areas where they are sparse instead of killing them, Sonali

a. Who should pay this?
b. I don't know any country where you have less human density than in Botswana. So where should they send the lions?

well there are certain areas in south africa where they are trying to revive certain areas and parks (I am no expert and these are just thoughts)

Maybe conservation organistions can work hand in hand with park/hotels/camp authorities in many areas in africa where they are killing herbivorous animals as thier population is exploding with less predators, and the parks or areas can become good wildlife safari parks

This is a thought, Sonali

In South Africa they already have thousands of lions on the hunting farms - all with an uncertain fate when the ban of canned hunting finally comes into effect. I don't think that there is much place left for 'foreign' lions. And it will be interesting to see what will happen to all these South African lions...

Nyama,

Have you the chance to read Alexander Mcall Smith's book - Botswana Time? Although, it is only light reading and complete fiction .... there is a mention of a hunting operator source lions from South Africa in order to please their clientele.

Hari -- also fiction: ...and put them in his fenced game ranch somewhere around Ghanzi or in the Tuli Block...

We have hundreds of big cat breeders in SA, and in the near future there is certainly an oversupply of lions in SA. So maybe this fiction comes true?

But back to what sonali74 suggested: With this supply of lions in SA, why should any game rancher or conservancy warden go to Botswana on a lion capture operation to supply his reserve?

The Botswana Government needs another solution for this problem. PB already outlined this above.

Nyama,

Apologies .... &quot;Botswana Time&quot; is by Will Randall. Story about a British school teacher/soccer coach based in Kasane.