Selling Lions, SAPS Arrest Two Accused Men in Wildlife Trafficking

• Two men have been arrested in connection with attempts to sell South African lions
• The accused are identified as a South African and a Vietnamese man, as stated by an anti-wildlife trafficking collective on Thursday
• Police were alerted to the case following advice stating that men had been actively involved in selling lions

NORTHWEST —The Wildlife Justice Commission and the South African Police Services (SAPS) joined forces to catch wildlife traffickers allegedly trying to sell lions illegally.

Accused Wildlife traffickers

The men in question are Huu Tao Nguyen, a 53-year-old Vietnamese man, and his locally based accomplice, Nico Scoltz, a 32-year-old man. The men had attempted to sell lions from a Free State farm where six lions were apparently living.

Upon arrest, a firearm and 50 rounds of ammunition were located in a vehicle. The Toyota Fortuner and trailer were seized for further investigation.

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Olivia Swaak-Goldman, the Executive Director of the Wildlife Justice Commission, voiced her thanks:

“I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to SAPS on this significant arrest and my appreciation for their cooperation with the Wildlife Justice Commission. It is an important result as South Africa moves towards closing down commercial lion farms and taking action against criminal activities connected to these facilities,”

Endangered species

You would not think that lions are an endangered species, but their numbers have dwindled in parts of West Africa. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has, therefore, listed lions as endangered.

The fight for the protection of lions in the wild is ongoing. As seen below, Patrick T is campaigning to stop the farming of lions and subsequent hunting.

South Africa is estimated to have the world's biggest confined lion population, which is an estimated 8,000 animals.

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Matsulu lion sighting: authorities warn residents

Briefly News earlier reported that the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency has urged residents not to approach the lion spotted around Matsulu. A team has been sent to capture the lion, which was seen on the outskirts of the township.

Spokesperson Simphiwe Shungube said: “We suspect it might have went back to the Kruger National Park.”

Source: Briefly News