You bring up an important point – the waste that currently happens with wildlife carcasses, especially those of predators like lions involved in problem animal control. In Botswana, the skin and the skull of a problem animal should by by law be turned in to the wildlife department as a requirement for compensation for livestock lost. I do not believe Namibia has a government compensation program for livestock preyed on by wild predators?

Nevertheless, if you are worried about carcasses being left to rot in the veld, I could suggest other business alternatives to the bones being sent to China. These bones have considerable scientific value to museums, high schools, universities, and veterinary schools all over the world. A properly cleaned and mounted skeleton of a lion has commercial value, and I would rather see such bones go to educational and scientific institutions than into a bottle of wine with only some dubious hocus pocus value.

It would be a bad idea to start selling the bones of dead lions as this will only start to increase the demand, which will eventually lead to the killing of lions. A good example is of course the fate of the rhino and to a lesser extend the situation of the elephant.

You’re right, they eat anything with four legs, except the table perhaps…

B

You are correct. Unfortunately it seems that the Chinese eat anything that moves. It takes a long time to get that out of a culture.

Ken is right in saying the substitution of lion bones for those of a tiger is old news. I believe what is not old news is the increasing prices offered and the resultant consequences we must be aware of and vigilant against. On the market, how much is a kilo of elepehant ivory worth these days? And are lion bones worth that much less? We all know and can predict what will happen when the commercial value of animal parts rises – exploiters will get interested and organized.

Great article and very well written.

In contrary of Ken who seems to already know all of this, I was quiet disturbed by the news. Thing is, by allowing this, the market is wide open. I think it is naïf to assume it will remain with “only” canned hunting lions. I have been in China many times and I know that it is more prestigious to obtain parts of in wild living creatures. The very one reason the tiger is vanishing that rapidly. So very soon this line will be crossed.

What disturbs me in the thinking of Ken (or at least that’s my feeling reading his comment) it is almost like he is saying “it is only canned hunting lions”. I taste a kind of acception of this industry. To me, canned hunting is unethical and we should do whatever we can to tackle it. Lots of African NGO’s are trying to stop this sickening business. But now, with another goldmine in bones, the question is if it will ever stop. Money talks……

So I don’t agree with Ken. If you give people options, there will always be a market. That’s people. The only thing that can stop them/us is laws, fines, punishment etc. If you don’t draw a line somewhere, who knows what the outcome will be.

Whilst I do not approve of hunting of any sort, let alone canned, if the income can be increased by the sale of these otherwise useless parts why should it not be done. Let’s face it there is no way that Chinese traditional medicines will end people have disgusting practices the world over!