Search results

More than 120 vultures are believed to have died recently in the Kruger National Park after feeding on an elephant carcass that was laced with poison, allegedly by poachers. Around 80 of the endangered scavenger birds narrowly survived. KwaZulu-Natal has also seen a sharp decline in vulture populations, with vulture poisoning cases reported in the northern parts of Zululand - including Hluhluwe and Pongola. However officials say there's been a sharp decline.

Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is increasingly taking place online, with social media and e-commerce platforms being used to facilitate the sale of endangered species. Data collected from May to July 2024 reveals that 477 online advertisements were detected for 18 protected species across Brazil and South Africa. Shockingly, 78% of these ads were posted on platforms like Facebook, making social media a major player in the online wildlife trade.

In Durban, a team comprising the Hawks and KZN Economic Infrastructure Task Team caught a man selling an elephant tusk. The 62-year-old was arrested in Greenwood Park. Police say the horn, which weighed some four-and-a-half-kilos, is estimated to be worth R2 million

Shuihau Chen. The Chinese national was caught dealing in rhino horn. He has been fined half a million rand and sentenced to two years imprisonment for infringing the Immigration Act Johannesburg - Fifty-year-old Chinese national Shuihau Chen, who was caught dealing in rhino horn, has been fined half a million rand and sentenced to two years imprisonment for infringing the Immigration Act.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife says the improved and random deployment of field ranges, police officers and K9 units have made life difficult for poachers. Three suspected poachers were arrested last week before they could kill a rhino inside the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park in northern KZN. This brings the number of alleged poachers caught inside the park this year to five.

KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife says they have seen a decrease in poaching since the start of the national lockdown. But the conservation body says they remain on high alert as poachers continue to operate in the province. Last week, a suspect was arrested in Mtubatuba, North of KZN for the illegal possession and sale of elephant ivory in the KwaMsane Township.

East and Southern Africa (ESA) is a pivotal node for organized crime, connecting regional criminal markets to global networks. From the shores of Somalia to border crossings and international air and seaports in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, the region serves as a thriving source, hub and conduit for a wide variety of illegal commodities. For example, heroin trafficked from Afghanistan via Pakistan and Iran is shipped across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean by dhow before it is deposited in northern Mozambique and Tanzania.