Botswana lions in danger from poachers
Friday, August 11, 2017

A pride of lions
The police have confirmed the arrest of four Batswana men allegedly behind the poaching of these lions. Mmegi has learnt that the market for lion bones is in Asia, but poachers in Botswana sell the skeletons to South Africa that seem to be supplying lion bones to meet the demand in Asia. It is believed that a lion skeleton sells for more than P30,000.
There has been international concern over the growing of South African game industry insiders who are engaged in illicit lion bone and rhino horn trade.
It is also hurting that whilst we all know that the Botswana Police Service (BPS) is charged functionally with the duties to investigate all forms of crime, some locals have resorted to taking the law into their own hands. It is very wrong to do that. There is also a possibility that one may wrongfully take the life of a person in the process, unless it is a justifiable case of self-defence. Recently, in the city of Francistown, some locals found...