Illegal Wildlife Trade Exposed in Buzua Region

We have recently received a report that a live pangolin was being sold in the Marringue district, Canxixe administrative post, in the Buzua region of Mozambique.

The traffickers claim to have hunted this pangolin within the Coutada 7 hunting reserve, and the owner of the animal is a local traditional healer in the Buzua area. The pictures of the pangolin were taken by the director of the Buzua school, who is now seeking money in exchange for the evidence.

Additionally, these same traffickers are also involved in the sale of a serval skin, which they misleadingly claim to be from a leopard.

After their apprehension, in partnership with ANAC and SERNIC, the individuals involved declared themselves to be buyers rather than hunters. They mentioned that their regular buyers were Chinese nationals engaged in the timber industry in the Canxixe area. Furthermore, they provided the names of the hunters who supplied them with these illicit animal products. They are notorious poachers who have been causing significant damage in Coutada 7 and are currently wanted by the authorities. An ongoing investigation is underway to bring them to justice.

The illicit trade in pangolins and other endangered species is a severe problem in many parts of the world, and Mozambique is no exception. Pangolins are particularly vulnerable to poaching due to their unique characteristics and the high demand for their scales and body parts in illegal markets, particularly in Asia. This situation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for stricter law enforcement and conservation efforts to protect these endangered animals.