4 Arrested After Trying to Sell Pangolin at Mall, Were Asking R250 000 for the Endangered Animal

• Four suspects were arrested after they tried to sell a pangolin at a mall for R250 000, the Haws responded to a tip-off about alleged wildlife smugglers
• The endangered animal is considered a delicacy in China and is often used in traditional medicines, approximately 100 000 are smuggled each year
• Following their arrest, the four suspects will appear in Mmabatho Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of wildlife trafficking

MAHIKENG - Four people were bust trying to sell something that you wouldn't normally find at a mall, a pangolin. The suspects were allegedly asking R250 000 for the endangered animal.

The group aged between 33 and 59 were arrested by the Hawks in Mahikeng on Friday, 22 April 2022. The small mammal is one of the most smuggled animals in the world and it is considered a delicacy in China and is often used in traditional medicines.

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According to News24, approximately 100 000 pangolins are smuggled annually. The Hawks were tipped off about the group of alleged wildlife smugglers. Upon inspection, the animal was found inside a car outside Crossing Mall in Mahikeng.

The South African reported that the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit was quick to respond to the tip-off.

The pangolin has been relocated to a place of safety. The four suspects will appear in Mmabatho Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of wildlife trafficking under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act.

"Amid all this destruction": Nick Evans saves python swept away by KZN floods

Earlier, Briefly News reported that Wildlife in KwaZulu-Natal was not spared by nature's wrath during the heavy rains that fell in the province, causing mayhem. Nick Evans recounted how he and his wife Joelle rescued a python in the Westbrook area that had washed onto the beach along with debris caught in the floods.

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Nick, who was thankful to find the snake in good health, managed, with the help of onlookers, to free it from the vegetation that it was entangled in and get it to safety. He added that the snake was not the only animal found on the beach - a crocodile was found not far from the python.

People were relieved to learn that the serpent was successfully rescued and that it would be released soon. They flooded Nick Evans' Facebook post with praises for another job well done, while others were intrigued by the collection of wildlife on the beach that was affected by the KZN floods.

Source: Briefly News