In a stunning victory for former Tory peer Lord Ashcroft and this newspaper, South Africa has announced plans to ban the breeding of captive lions for hunting. The Mail on Sunday was today hailed for exposing the appalling cruelty of South Africa's lion farms after the country pledged to outlaw the hunting of big cats in enclosures and end the vile trade of lion bones. It also detailed the astonishing story of how Lord Ashcroft and his team rescued a captive-bred lion named Simba from a ranch and released him into a large enclosure. Writing in today's MoS, Lord Ashcroft said South Africa's crackdown 'is a triumphant step forward in the march to stamp out this offence to nature'. South Africa is the only country that allows large-scale lion-breeding, with animals kept in fenced enclosures at 300 farms.

Source: The Nation May 08, 2021 21:22 UTC