Cape Town - Detectives attached to Organised Crime Investigations followed up on information on Wednesday about a lion cub that was transported from Tabazimbi in Limpopo to the Western Cape.
South African Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana revealed that various addresses were searched in the Athlone area, until eventually the lion cub was found.
"A case docket of possession of endangered species was registered by Stock Theft Unit and the lion cub was taken to a place of safety.
"The estimated street value of the lion cub is R50 000. Three people aged between 28 and 30 years-old were taken in for questioning," Rwexana said.
The investigation is on-going.
Most of the facilities that offer cub petting activities claim that their cubs were orphaned, abandoned or even rejected by their mother and that the facility has rescued them.
“This is not true: These cubs are bred on demand in captivity to feed these petting establishments with a continuous stream of lion cubs,” explains director, Fiona Miles.
There are around 300 farms on which lions are bred and kept for commercial purposes in South Africa. While there are about 3,000 wild lions living in national parks and reserves in South Africa, there are between 8,000 and 10,000 lions living in captivity.