04 August 2025 Devil's Claw has oddly shaped fruit with spikes that look like claws to deter animals. The plant's tubers are highly sought after for medicinal use as they are considered to have anti-inflammatory properties. Peace Parks Foundation in western Zambia's Sioma Ngwezi National Park, a little-known medicinal plant is vanishing - not from overuse by local communities, but at the hands of international crime syndicates. Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), a heritage species long used by communities across southern Africa, has already disappeared in two of the park's three zones. Its tuber is a coveted ingredient in global herbal and wellness markets, especially in Europe, where it's widely used for rheumatism, arthritis and inflammation. Locally, it has also been relied on to treat fever, pain, hypertension, indigestion and skin ailments.