A Call to Support Open Letter on South Africa’s Captive Lion Industry

Blood Lions, in collaboration with World Animal Protection, has released findings from an international poll examining perceptions of South Africa’s commercial captive lion industry.

The survey, which included international tourists from the UK, USA, Germany, and the Netherlands, revealed strong opposition to the continuation of the industry. According to the results, 70% of respondents indicated they would be deterred from visiting South Africa due to concerns that the industry is unethical and exploitative.

In response to these findings, Blood Lions and World Animal Protection are inviting tourism stakeholders, including ATTA members, to add their signatures to an open letter addressed to Cyril Ramaphosa, Patricia de Lille, and Willem Aucamp.

The letter highlights concerns about the potential consequences of continuing lion farming, particularly for South Africa’s tourism sector, which contributes nearly 9% to the country’s GDP. Survey respondents also warned of possible reputational damage and economic risks to tourism should the industry persist.

The initiative calls on government leadership to ensure that the previously established process to phase out the commercial captive lion industry continues as planned.

How to Participate

ATTA members who wish to support the initiative can add their signature via the provided Google Form, where the full text of the open letter can also be viewed.

Deadline: Close of business, Monday 16th March 2026.

By signing, tourism stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to a collective industry voice on responsible wildlife tourism in South Africa.