The Wild Crime Report for 28 April 2025
Misery for tigers in South Africa and a week of heavy sentences.
Welcome to the Wild Crime Report for 28 April 2025. And welcome to those of you who are freshly subscribed. This weekly dose of wildlife news and events will keep hitting your inboxes at the start of the week but I’m aiming to add more regular extra pieces on subjects that catch my interest, such as last weeks post on the Ant trafficking case in Kenya. Have a read here if you haven’t done so already and please share your thoughts and comments.
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Now let’s get into some information.
Tigers; from exotic to farm animals
A development in the depressing state of tigers in South Africa was discussed last week whereby the government continues to give little to no indication that it’s willing to dismantle the commercial trade in captive bred tigers.
In response to a press article about the trade in tigers within South Africa, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment made a statement essentially defending South Africa’s position on tigers stating that it regulates tigers according to their legal obligations and cites an absence of evidence that an illegal trade in tiger parts originating from South Africa even exists.
Understandably, the Minister has few supporters on this stance within wildlife groups and around the world. There is considerable suspicion that the large population of captive tigers in South Africa is not merely to populate the world’s zoos but rather to fuel the demand for Asian destined tiger products such as skins and bone wine. All of which, would be illegal given tigers are CITES Appendix I species. Evidence of this trade as well as the discrepancies in provincial and national records has been tabled at least by journalists and NGOs.
As tigers are not native to South Africa, local legislation doesn’t afford them the same protections as for other big cats. However there may be a showdown further down the road if CITES issues a non-detriment finding in relation to tigers which could jeopardize their ability to issue legal export permits for tigers.
South Africa aren’t alone in this horror show that is captive bred farming of a majestic wild species. But it would be good if they decided to take the lead in ending it.
20 year prison sentence handed to rhino poacher
A Mozambique rhino poacher was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment last week in the ‘Rhino Court’. Back in 2020, 41 year old Nelson Sambo was caught poaching in Kruger National Park with an accomplice who fled and remains to be a fugitive. Sambo was found in possession of two rhino horns, knives and a hunting rifle and ammunition, so as red handed as it gets.
Sentences handed out in Kenya for ivory trafficking
While not busy protecting their ant colonies, Kenya also meted out heavy punishments for three wildlife traffickers last week. Two men received five years imprisonment after they were found in possession of 24.9 kilograms of elephant ivory last year. And in a separate matter, a man caught with 2.6 kilograms of rhino horn has been denied bail. The rhino horn was identified as that of a black rhino, of which Kenya has less than 1,000 left.
Indonesia jails tiger poacher
In a week of big sentences for wildlife cases, the ever alert Monga Bay news released a report that an Indonesia court has given a tiger poacher, Aman Faisal Tambunan a five year prison sentence for the killing of a Sumatran tiger in September of last year. It’s reported as being the heaviest sentence imposed for a wildlife crime in Indonesia with aggravating circumstances presumably coming from the fact that Aman subjected the female tiger to a slow and painful death in a snare that was then captured on mobile phone.
Taiwan aquarium owner jailed for 9 months
And just rounding out wildlife sentencing for this report, a Taiwanese aquarium owner was sentenced to 9 months prison after he was found guilty of smuggling a cobra and six Asian water monitors from Indonesia in 2021. The wild animals were sent via FedEx packages with the owner, known as Su, signing off on the import declarations on the consignments marked as ‘snacks’. Unfortunately for Su, the ‘snacks’ were protected wildlife species under Taiwan law and were detected by Taipei Customs who referred the case to investigators.
Fijian iguanas seized in bust sent to San Diego zoo
And in more of a good news story, eight Fijian iguanas that were saved during an operation in Spain have been patriated to the San Diego Zoo. The iguanas were part of a large 600 reptile seizure made by the Guardia Civil back in 2018 and had been at a facility near Madrid before this latest move which was authorised by the Fijian government.
The iguanas will be residents of the San Diego Zoo, which has a history of taking in seized wildlife, and will be studied by biologists to assist with conservation efforts for this critically endangered species.
Stay wild.