The lion cub that was found in Athlone earlier this year has been placed in the care of Cape Nature while a second cub is still missing.
This has come to light as animal activists reacted with outrage to an amended law that saw a list of iconic and, in some cases, endangered wild animals being reclassified as farm animals.
Lions, cheetahs, rhinos and zebras were among 33 wild species which became farm animals as of May this year when the government approved an amendment to the Animal Improvement Act (AIA) which governs livestock breeding.
This act permits “improvement” of “genetically superior” animals to “increase production or performance” by licensed animal breeders.
This week, Loren Pavitt, of Cape Nature told the Daily Voice they were not at liberty to discuss the whereabouts of the lion cub: “CapeNature and SAPS have jointly taken the decision to not provide media comments at this stage given the sensitive nature of the case and the ongoing investigation.”
The story made headlines in August when members from the Stock and Endangered Species Unit found the cub, which had been transported from Limpopo inside the Lawrence Road, Athlone home of Sulaiman Effendi, the son of convicted killer Najwa Petersen.
Effendi and his friends were arrested and released on R5000 bail. File photo
Effendi and his friends, Shurud Jacobs and Moegamat Rayaan Simons, were arrested and released on R5000 bail.
They are due to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court again on 27 November on 14 charges relating to the protection of wild animals.
Allan Perrins, of the Animal Welfare Society of Philippi, says the new act may see more wild animals being brought into the city and render the work of conservationists meaningless.
“Wild animals belong in the wild and we tamper with the natural order of the universe at our own peril and to our own detriment.”