The Molopo Regional Court in Mahikeng, South Africa, sentenced two wildlife traffickers, Edward Motlatsi Phiri, 46, and Tlhoriso France\u00a0Ralph, 51, to eight years in prison. They were convicted of smuggling a Temminck\u2019s pangolin, a vulnerable species native to Southern and Eastern Africa, according to a\u00a0statement\u00a0released by the North West province\u2019s environment agency.<\/p>\n
The judgment, delivered on May 26, 2026, followed the arrest of four suspects on June 2, 2023, when law enforcement authorities, acting on a tip, intercepted a vehicle in which they were traveling and seized a live female pangolin (Smutsia temminckii<\/em>) intended for sale.<\/p>\n During the court hearing three years later, charges against two accused traffickers were withdrawn while Phiri and Ralph were found guilty.<\/p>\n \u201cThis sentence sends a strong message that wildlife crime is a serious offense with devastating environmental consequences,\u201d said Bitsa Lenkopane, with the Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism in the North West province, in a\u00a0statement. \u201cEvery operation, every investigation, and every successful prosecution strengthen our collective fight against illegal wildlife trafficking.\u201d<\/p>\n Pangolins are trafficked for their scales, worth thousands of dollars on the black market. They are falsely believed to have medicinal qualities in East Asia. The demand has driven steep declines in pangolin numbers worldwide: Six of the eight species are classified as endangered or critically endangered today. Pangolins are also consumed as bushmeat in parts of Africa.<\/p>\n These mammals are protected under South African law, which prohibits their possession, sale, display or transportation. Their international commercial trade is also banned under CITES, the global wildlife trade agreement.<\/p>\n Soon after the pangolin was seized, authorities brought it to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for immediate care, where it was named Naledi.<\/p>\n In a\u00a0social media post, the hospital said Naledi \u201carrived in one of the worst conditions\u201d \u2014 she was severely dehydrated, starving, emaciated, already in kidney failure, and was pregnant. Despite best efforts, Naledi and her unborn baby died.<\/p>\n \u201cAn entire future generation, gone forever because of greed and the illegal wildlife trade,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThis sentence sends a powerful message: Wildlife crime is not a harmless offence. It causes immense suffering, destruction, and loss.\u201d<\/p>\n The North West province environment agency said illegal trade in the region is due to \u201cproximity to Botswana and the porosity of South Africa\u2019s borders.\u201d It called on communities to \u201cwork closely with law enforcement authorities by reporting suspicious activities linked to wildlife trafficking, illegal hunting, and the unlawful possession or trade of protected species.\u201d<\/p>\n The illegal trade in pangolin scales\u00a0seems to have slowed\u00a0<\/u>in recent years, but poaching hasn\u2019t stopped. Conservationists say deterrents against wildlife crimes include stricter law enforcement, intelligence-led operations to dismantle the trafficking network, along with increased prosecution and convictions.<\/p>\n