Wildlife activists demand halt to SA lion breeding

Wildlife campaigners are calling for an end to the commercial breeding of lions in South Africa. The charity World Animal Protection says it’s seen evidence of cruelty, squalid conditions, and links to the illegal trade in body parts. It says unregulated sites are selling lion bones for use in East Asian traditional medicine. The BBC reports that in 2021, the South African government announced plans to close all captive lion facilities. But it backtracked on the commitment last year.