Welfare of African lion (Panthera leo) cubs used in wildlife tourism interaction activities

Abstract

Wildlife interactions in tourism are criticised by some on welfare grounds due to the negative impacts on the individual animals, considered to be over-worked, poorly provided for and unable to express normal behaviours. Conversely, they may be used as a tool to create conservation awareness and generate revenue. Lion cub interactions have great appeal due to the charismatic nature of the species and the fact that they are so young. Lion cub interactions take place internationally but are more prolific in a country such as South Africa where the species is intensely farmed, with cubs being readily available for the attraction. A stakeholder workshop was held with a broad representation of the industry. The leading welfare concern was determined to be the lack of governance within the industry, with cub nutrition, cub social needs and the effects of removing the cubs from the mother, being some of the concerns. A set of non-negotiables were identified for the industry. Thereafter, an adaptive conjoint analysis was used in a wider online survey of stakeholders to rank and weight their importance. Social grouping of the cubs, followed by their ability to choose their own environment, were the top two weighted welfare issues. The value model recognises practices which do not contribute to the animal’s welfare and identifies unacceptable poor practices which should be avoided. In a field study, the ethology of the lion cubs at three facilities in South Africa was recorded to determine the impact that interactions may have on their behaviour. Human interaction frequency was determined to have an impact on both the durations and diversity of behaviours exhibited and when high, the development of a behavioural pathology became evident. Abnormal behaviour in the form of stereotypic pacing also developed. The interacting tourists were interviewed and whilst most were unaware of any controversy around interacting with lion cubs, others were determined to experience the interaction regardless. Expectations of interactors were generally low with very few experiencing any orm of reflection. Children clearly influenced the decision to participate in the activity. Regrettably, education opportunities were lost with few being made aware of lion conservation issues. Interactors were attuned to selected welfare concerns but had conflicting views on freedom from discomfort. A harms-benefit analysis incorporating utilitarian ethics was tested for various lion cub interaction positions within South Africa. The best ethical practice identified, was one suggesting that an alternate more appropriate species should be considered.

Die interaksie tussen mense en wilde diere as deel van toerisme-aktiwiteite, word om welsynsredes deur sommiges gekritiseer weens die negatiewe impak wat hierdie aktiwiteite op die individuele diere het. Sodanige impakte word beskou as uitputtend, swak versorging en die onvermoë van die diere om normale gedrag te openbaar. Daarenteen dien hierdie toerisme-aktiwiteite as 'n hulpmiddel vir bewaringsbewusmaking en inkomsteskepping. Interaksies met leeuwelpies het 'n groot aantrekkingskrag as gevolg van hul charismatiese aard. Die feit dat dit 'n jong dier is maak die aktiwiteit nog aantrekliker. Interaksies met leeuwelpies vind internasionaal plaasvind, maar is meer omvangryk in 'n land soos Suid-Afrika waar daar intensief met leeus geboer word en welpies geredelik beskikbaar is vir diè tipe aktiwiteit. 'n Werkswinkel vir belanghebbendes met wye verteenwoordiging uit die bedryf is aangebied. Die vernaamste welsynskwessie is as die gebrek aan bestuur in die bedryf geïdentifiseer, terwyl welpievoeding, maatskaplike behoeftes van die welpie, sowel as die gevolge van die verwydering van die welpies van die leeuwyfie (moeder) ook uitgewys is. 'n Stel ononderhandelbare praktyke vir die bedryf is bepaal. Daarna is 'n aanpasbare benadering tot saamgestelde analise in 'n breër aanlyn-opname van belanghebbendes gebruik om die belangrikheid van hierdie praktyke te orden. Sosiale groepering van die welpies, gevolg deur die vermoë om hul eie omgewing te kies, was die twee belangrikste welsynkwessies. Die waardemodel identifiseer praktyke wat negatief op die welstand van die dier inwerk en onaanvaarbare swak praktyke wat vermy moet word. Die etologie van welpies is in ‘n veldstudie by drie fasiliteite in Suid-Afrika opgeteken om die impak wat interaksies op hul gedrag kan hê te bepaal. Daar is vasgestel dat die frekwensie van menslike interaksie 'n invloed op die duur en diversiteit van die gedrag wat getoon is, het. Verder is bepaal dat wanneer hierdie interaksiefrekwensie hoog is, die ontwikkeling van 'n gedragspatologie duidelik word. Abnormale gedrag in die vorm van stereotipe stap het ook ontwikkel. Deur onderhoudvoering met die interaksie-deelnemers is vasgestel dat die meeste deelnemers nie bewus was van enige omstredenheid rondom interaksies met leeuwelpies nie, terwyl ander vasbeslote was om ten spyte hiervan met die interaksie voort te gaan. Die verwagtinge van deelnemers was oor die algemeen laag en baie min het enige vorm van dieper betekenis ervaar. Die teenwoordigheid van kinders het die besluit om aan die interaksie-aktiwiteit deel te neem, duidelik beïnvloed. Ongelukkig het opvoedingsgeleenthede verlore gegaan en weinig van die deelnemers is van leeu bewaringskwessies bewus gemaak. Deelnemers aan die interaksies was ingestel op selektiewe welsynskwessies, maar het teenstrydige menings oor vrywaring van ongerief van die diere gehad. ’n Skade-bate-analise wat utilitaristiese etiek insluit, is vir verskillende leeuwelpie-interaksies in Suid-Afrika getoets. Die uitkoms was dat die mees etiese praktyk sou wees om ’n alternatiewe, meer geskikte spesie te identifiseer en te oorweeg vir interaksies.

Likamano tsa liphoofolo tse hlaha le bohahlauli li nyatsuoa ke ba bang ka mabaka a boiketlo ka lebaka la litlamorao tse mpe ho liphoofolo ka bonngoe, tse nkoang li sebelisoa ho feta tekano, li sa fuoe hantle ebile li sa khone ho hlahisa boits'oaro bo tloaelehileng. Ka lehlakoreng le leng, li ka sebelisoa e le sesebelisoa sa ho hlahisa tlhokomeliso ea paballo le ho etsa chelete. Likamano tsa litau li na le boipiletso bo boholo ka lebaka la sebopeho se khahlisang sa mofuta ona le taba ea hore li nyane haholo. Tšebelisano ea tau ea likonyana e etsahala machabeng empa e atile haholo naheng e kang Afrika Boroa moo mofuta ona o lengoang haholo, ka malinyane a fumaneha habonolo bakeng sa ho hohela. Thupelo ea bankakarolo e ile ea tšoaroa e nang le boemeli bo pharalletseng ba indasteri. Matšoenyeho a ka sehloohong a boiketlo a sechaba a ne a ikemiselitse ho ba khaello ea puso ka har'a indasteri, ka phepo e ntle ea bana, litlhoko tsa sechaba tsa bana le litlamorao tsa ho tlosa malinyane ho mme, e le tse ling tsa lintho tse tšoenyang. Sehlopha sa lintho tseo ho sa buisanoeng ka tsona li fumanoe bakeng sa indasteri. Kamora moo, tlhahlobo e kopanetsoeng ea kopanyo e sebelisitsoe phuputsong e pharalletseng ea inthanete ea bankakarolo ho lekanya le ho lekanya bohlokoa ba bona. Sehlopha sa sechaba sa malinyane, se lateloang ke bokhoni ba ho ikhethela tikoloho, e ne e le litaba tse peli tse holimo tsa boiketlo. Moetso oa boleng o amohela mekhoa e sa tlatselletseng boiketlong ba phoofolo mme e supa mekhoa e mebe e sa amoheleheng e lokelang ho qojoa. Phuputsong ea tšimo, thuto ea boitšoaro ea malinyane a litau litsing tse tharo tsa Afrika Boroa e ile ea hatisoa ho fumana tšusumetso eo litšebelisano li ka bang le eona boitšoarong ba bona. Maqhubu a tšebelisano ea batho a ne a ikemiselitse ho ba le tšusumetso ho nako le ho fapana ha boitšoaro bo bonts'itsoeng mme ha bo phahame, nts'etsopele ea lefu la boitšoaro e ile ea bonahala. Boitšoaro bo sa tloaelehang ka mokhoa oa stereotypic pacing le bona bo hlahile. Bahahlauli ba buisanang ba ile ba botsoa lipotso 'me ha ba bangata ba ne ba sa tsebe phehisano efe kapa efe e mabapi le ho sebelisana le malinyane a tau, ba bang ba ne ba ikemiselitse ho bona tšebelisano ho sa tsotelehe. Litebello tsa likhokahanyo ka kakaretso li ne li le tlase 'me ke ba fokolang haholo ba nang le mofuta ofe kapa ofe oa ponahatso. Ho hlakile hore bana ba ile ba susumetsa qeto ea ho nka karolo mosebetsing ona. Ka masoabi, menyetla ea thuto e ile ea lahleha ka ba fokolang ba ileng ba tsebisoa ka litaba tsa paballo ea tau. Basebelisi ba ne ba ikamahanya le mathata a khethiloeng a boiketlo empa ba ne ba e-na le maikutlo a loantšanang mabapi le tokoloho mathateng. Tlhatlhobo ea melemo ea kotsi e kenyelletsang boits'oaro ba ts'ebeliso e ile ea lekoa maemong a fapaneng a ts'ebelisano ea bana ba tau ka hare ho Afrika Boroa. Tloaelo e nepahetseng ea boits'oaro e khethiloeng, e ne e fana ka maikutlo a hore ho lokela ho nahanoe ka mofuta o mong o loketseng haholoanyane.