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Surveying elephants is hard, risky work. Dedicated biologists have been doing this challenging task across Africa for decades. Systematic surveying started in the late 1960s but has been sporadic, as access to remote areas takes logistical planning, funding and well-trained teams. Surveys can easily be derailed by civil unrest or lack of available survey teams. Consequently, the information on the numbers of elephants across Africa is spotty. Even for a single population, survey effort and coverage can change over the years.

South Africa's succulents - small, fleshy, green plants sometimes shaped like roses or stars, and often found peeping out between rocks in dry areas - are sought after by an increasingly international collector market. The popular Conophytum, Lithops and Tylecodon are part of the group of rare and aesthetically unique succulents which are now being illegally traded all over the world. Since 2019, over 1 million succulent plants from 650 species unique to South Africa have been illegally harvested in South Africa.

Poaching syndicates have resurfaced at the Sentinel-Limpopo Safaris, about 78km west of Beitbridge Town where they are wantonly killing wild animals and derailing efforts of revamping the tourism industry after a Covid-19 hiatus. In some instances, they are unselectively killing even pregnant game and use donkeys as means of transport. It is also understood that the continued poaching activities have become a threat to tourism within the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conversation Area (TFCA). The mega safari land is jointly owned by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

Three men accused of illegal possession of four elephant tusks worth US$6 426 they were caught carrying in Harare's Avenues last month, have been released on bail of $150 000 each by the High Court pending trial before a magistrate.

The illegal wildlife trade is one of the highest value illicit trade sectors globally, threatening both human well-being and biodiversity. A prominent example is ivory poaching, leading to an estimated 30% decline in African elephant populations between 2007 and 2014 and costing African states an estimated US$25 million annually in lost tourism revenues.