Two men arrested for allegedly trying to sell a pangolin have been released on R500 bail. The accused were apprehended on Wednesday, 23 October, after police received a tip-off about men trying to sell a rare animal. The pair are facing charges of dealing in endangered species as per the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.
R500 bail The tip-off was registered with police on 12 October, with the Mahikeng branch of the Hawks’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit conducting the operation earlier this week. Officers tracked 22-year-old Odireleng Makutle and 38-year-old Mpho Lebese to the Maiyaiyane area in the North West. ALSO READ: Bidding for a cause: Pangolin art auction a triumph They had reportedly been looking for a buyer for their pangolin and upon conducting the transaction were arrested by police.
“They appeared in court on 24 October and were each granted R500 bail. Their matter was postponed to 04 December 2024 for further investigation,” confirmed North West police spokesperson Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse Why are pangolins traded? Another pangolin was recently rescued by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Sandton, Gauteng. The animal was found in an unoccupied car in Morningside, reported the Sandton Chronicle .
Pangolins are sold on the black market for their use in traditional medicines. They are also seen as a delicacy in Asian countries and their scales can be used as fashion accessories and je.