Human barbarism

This scene of barbarism greeted the police and conservationists on Sunday morning on the road between Riversdale and Vermaaklikheid, Western Cape, South Africa.

The culture that drives such actions is reprehensible and inconceivable. The caracal had been caught in a gin trap (even though these traps cannot be used without permits in the Western Cape and no permit was issued for this act). Look at the indentation on the limb of the caracal. Its eye has popped out of its socket after it was clubbed over the head while in the trap. It then got displayed on a telephone pole on the public road.

Do your part

You can help stop these practices! If this savage and barbaric agricultural practice repulses you, do consider very carefully when you next buy range land meats or animal fibers (wool and mohair). Your choice at the supermarket tills may indeed be paying and rewarding production practices such as these.

Not a single retailer or retail outlet in this country has any products that can be assured of excluding such acts of barbarism in the production of its meats and animal fibers. Thus in the absence of this assurance, all such produce needs to be treated with suspicion as these practices are commonplace.

Gin traps are still legal production tools in the meat and animal fiber industries. This curse should be exposed to the world. Shortly a wildlife-friendly brand, initially focusing on range land meats and animal fibers (wool and mohair) called Fair Game will be available to consumers. This brand will accredit producers and reward those caring for our wildlife and farming ethically. Support this brand when it appears in your supermarkets, as it is in your power to stamp out this barbarism.

Read more at the Landmark Foundation and please support their very important work.