South Africa puts temporary ban on hunting leopards this year

This is the first time in decades that the government has brought in such a ban, specially on leopard hunts. Leopards are part of the Big 5, chased by rich hunters, with the lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant forming the rest.  The temporary ban comes in the wake of a global uproar last year over the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe by a US dentist. 

The decision, however, was driven by science, not emotion. South African Environment Minister Edna Molewa is a vocal advocate of the hunting industry, which the government estimates contributes 6.2 billion rand ($410 million) annually to Africa’s most advanced economy. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), a government research organization, recommended the temporary ban. 

“There is uncertainty about the numbers and this is not a permanent ban, but we need more information to guide quotas,” said John Donaldson, SANBI’s director of research. Given their secretive and nocturnal nature, leopards are not easy to count. 

South Africa has also been scorched by its worst drought on record and experts said this was good for leopard numbers as predators typically thrive when the rains are poor, leaving much of their prey in a weakened and easy-tokill state. 

According to one estimate, it could cost up to $20,000 to shoot a leopard. Most of the foreign hunters who come to South Africa for such game are American. Hunting all of the Big 5 has been legal in South Africa since the 1980s when hunts for white rhino were resumed.