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Canned hunting in South Africa is completely legal, and there are very few controls as the lions involved are all privately owned. 

There are very many problems with the “regulation” of the industry. Because captive bred lions are not considered “Threatened or Protected Species” in South Africa they do not fall under the Ministry of Environment. They also do not fall under the Ministry of Agriculture. There are no norms and standards in place to govern the minimal care and housing of the captive lions. The NSPCA in South Africa is very weak and has stayed out of the fray – the lion breeding farms are not subject to regular inspections. The Provinces in SA have different rules about the amount of time a lion should be “released” into a “wild area” before it can be hunted – in Northwest Province, where most of the canned hunts take place, it is 96 hours but nobody checks. Lions are subject to inter-Province transport regulations but permits are easily obtained – they are just listed as being transported from one breeding facility to another. The Professional Hunting Association of South Africa and the Predator Breeder’s Association have only recently agreed to impose minimal standards on canned hunts – for example the animals cannot be drugged and the client must be fully informed that he’s hunting a captive bred animal. 

In short, there are few regulations, captive bred lions are in complete limbo as to regulations governing their care, there are no minimal standards for any form of ethical treatment while in captivity, there are no humane standards for use of cubs in petting/walking/volunteer facilities.