On 14 July 2025, the Mpumalanga Hawks arrested a 48-year-old man in Nelspruit, for contravention of the Conservation Act. The Organised Crime Investigation Unit accosted him for allegedly selling wildlife without a permit.
“A Nissan Light Delivery Vehicle that was used to transport the wildlife was seized,” said Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi.
According to Nkosi, authorities found the suspect trading in one of the local shopping complexes. He was allegedly selling four Barn Owls for R1000 each.
A TIP OFF TO SAVE WILDLIFE
Nkosi said the Hawks received a tip off from the Mpumalanga Parks Board officials, who provided his unit with the location of the suspect.
The Hawks then conducted a joint operation and found the suspect red-handed with the owls, without a permit. The province’s Acting Head of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Danie Hall, commended the swift arrest.
“Wildlife life is part of our heritage and we have a duty to protect it,” he said .
RESCUED OWLS GET NEW HOME
“When we take care of our wildlife, we safeguard our heritage for future generations,” Hall continued.
After rescuing the owls, the Hawks handed them over to the Mpumalanga Parks Board. They will rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
The suspect will appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, 15 July 2025, to answer on the charges leveled against him.
DOES THE COUNTRY SPREAD ENOUGH AWARENESS ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION?
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