Pangolin
Hawks nab 6 suspects believed to be part of pangolin syndicate in Kyalami
Investigators found them on Wednesday in the Kyalami area where they were in the process of looking for a buyer for one of the vulnerable animals.
Arrests, prosecutions and wildlife seizures are up in Vietnam, but conservationists warn corruption and patchy law enforcement mean the scourge of trafficking continues.
The police’s Maria Nkabinde said that the trio could not explain why they had the animal in their possession.
They were arrested at the Waterfall Shopping Mall last week after they were found in possession of a pangolin.
Their target is the long-tailed pangolin -- a little mammal also called the scaly anteater, which will be lucky to survive to the end of this century.
The scales were seized in raids in 2017 and 2018, following which some 20 people were arrested.
Francois Gerome Bok was arrested by the Hawks’ wild life anti-trafficking unit which acted following a tip-off.
Authorities across Southeast Asia are battling to stop the rampant poaching and smuggling of pangolins, the world's most heavily trafficked mammal, which is sought for use in traditional medicine.
Researchers hope the imagery could provide new insights into the secretive nocturnal species only found in equatorial Africa, which are being pushed to extinction by illegal hunting for its scales and meat.
The timid and nocturnal pangolin, which rolls into a ball when threatened - making them defenceless against poachers - is one of the most heavily trafficked mammals.
The study by Hong Kong Wildlife Trade Working Group, a coalition of local groups, offers one of the most detailed analyses yet on smuggling rackets in the city.
They’re trying to stop trafficking in the species whose scales are highly prized in Chinese medicine.
The ground-breaking procedure was done by a team at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital led by Fourways vet Dr Alain Carter.
The Department of Environmental Affairs says four sharks, a live pangolin, 700 kilograms of abalone, ivory and rhino horn have been seized by authorities.
Protecting the pangolin