Leopard skin smuggler arrested
Police recovered the skins of three fully-grown and two smaller leopards in Impala Street during a sting operation by their intelligence division last Thursday around 15:30.
MALALANE – According to Sgt Bheki Nkosi of Malalane SAPS, the 45-year-old Anna Mathonsi was found carrying the five skins in two maize meal bags in Impala Street last Thursday.
The unprocessed skins have a street value of R30 000 and have been handed over to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA).
Nkosi said the fact that the skins were unprocessed and that Mathonsi had five of them raised suspicions among the police officers.
Police suspect that she was heading somewhere to sell them after the animals had been poached in the Kruger National Park (KNP) or one of the local game reserves or farms.
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The SAPS, aided by the MTPA and SANParks, are still investigating where the animals had been poached.
Nkosi stated that carcasses or other evidence of poaching and wildlife crimes are usually sent to the MTPA, so that they can determine the damage caused and what impact it has on the environment.
If the crime is of national priority, such as rhino poaching, the case is usually handled by a national task team. However, if local SAPS come across a wildlife crime, they will react.
In the case of wildlife such as elephants damaging property or predators spotted outside reserves or the Kruger, community members are urged to report it to the MTPA and KNP. Their officials and rangers are usually called in to deal with the situation, minimise the damage, euthanise or dart and relocate the animal.
April Lukhele of the MTPA stated that leopard skins are seldom found being sold illegally. He explained that a permit must be obtained from the MTPA to legally trade animal products, including skins.
According to Lukhele poaching and possession of dead game of various species is a very common offence in Nkomazi.
The MTPA has a station in Nkomazi with three officials who enforce the law and work with police to prevent environmental crimes and arrest offenders.
Lukhele said that it is difficult to find where animals are being poached, but it can be determined if the offender is willing to cooperate after their arrest.
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He stated that Mathosi’s arrest is a “good success case, as such offenders need to be apprehended and understand the legal implications when it comes to environmental crime”.
Mathonsi appeared in the Malalane Periodical Court on Monday on a charge of contravening the Nature Conservation Act (possession of dead game without a permit) and was granted bail of R2 000.
She is scheduled to appear in the same court on March 4, pending further investigation.
Nkosi urged managers or owners of game reserves and farms who believe the animals were poached on their premises to contact the Malalane SAPS to assist with the investigation.
