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Two Zimbabweans, who were recently arrested for illegal possession of a pangolin and illegally entering Botswana, have been jailed four years each.

A mission to rescue a pangolin confiscated in Kuruman in the Northern Cape led to a Limpopo foundation sponsoring a flight to the Northern Cape to have it treated at Provet Animal Hospital in Hoedspruit. Provet Animal Hospital said on Facebook that a female Temminck’s ground pangolin was confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade and upon assessment, the veterinarian in Kuruman discovered that she was clutching a newborn pup, a little male, still wrapped in the afterbirth.

The Hawks serious organised crime investigation (Soci) team arrested two suspects for illegal possession of pangolin in Primrose, Germiston. W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela said the bust went down on Friday. "Information was received about two foreign nationals in transit in an e-hailing vehicle suspected to be in possession of a pangolin." "When members of the Soci team arrived at the scene, they found the two suspects, who are crossborder truck drivers from Zambia, carrying one pangolin in a bag."

Two Zimbabwean men have been remanded in custody after they were found in possession of a live pangolin.

Erongo law enforcement officers on Monday evening arrested a 49-year-old Namibian man at a mini- shop at Okombahe for possessing illegal python skins and an unlicensed revolver. The arrest was a result of an intelligence-led operation, according to Erongo police spokesperson inspector Ileni Shapumba. "The person was found with two python skins, which he kept in a plastic bag in his shop," said Shapumba. The skins are valued at N$60 000. Python is a protected species under the Nature Conservation Act.

Authorities put the value of the seizure at N952million and say the items were headed to Vietnam. Mohammed Abba-Kura, Customs Comptroller, said at a media briefing on Tuesday in Lagos that the items were contained in a one-unit 20-feet container with number CSLU 2362640 heading to Haiphong, Vietnam. He said the items, falsely declared as furniture, comprised 162 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 8,800kg and 57 sacks of mixed endangered species of various sizes such as ivory/animal horns, lion bones and others.

Measures to help curb the spread of Covid-19 in Uganda - such as restrictions on movement - apparently have not deterred the illegal international wildlife trade. The demand for both traditional wildlife products (such as pangolin scales) and newer ones (such as elephant penises) has continued, with numerous arrests made last year. There was an increase in poaching in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s top wildlife reserve, with 60 poachers arrested between March and May 2020.

Increased political buy-in for law enforcement and interdiction efforts at ports in East Africa have pushed wildlife smuggling westward to Nigeria. Between 1998 and 2014, the top two countries associated with ivory seizures were Tanzania and Kenya. Since 2014, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have overtaken them. Corruption at the ports, the involvement of influential politicians, and rural poverty make Nigeria an aractive waypoint for smugglers.

Members of Upington Highway patrol have arrested a male suspect in connection with possession of Endangered Species. Police got information about the suspect yesterday and it was operationalized. The suspect was found at a hiking spot in Upington hitch hiking to Olifantshoek. He was searched and pangolin skin was found in his luggage. It is valued at about R108 750.00, weighing 2,05 kg.