Cape pangolin poaching on the rise

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) commander, Placid Segokgo, made this revelation during a media briefing on Friday held by the Ministry of Defence and Security at Hotel 430 in Gaborone.

Segokgo explained that Cape pangolin scales hold significant value in East African traditional medicine practices, where they are extensively employed. The animals have attracted substantial attention recently due to their prominence in international trade. Although pangolins have long played a role in traditional medicine across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about the full extent of their use, the specific body parts utilised, or the ailments these practices aim to treat.