Man fined R3 000 after allegedly selling jackal pup online

A 19-year-old man has been fined R3 000 after he was allegedly found in possession of a jackal pup that had been advertised for sale online in Clarens in the Free State.

The incident followed intelligence shared between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Wildlife Crime Information Network (WCIN) as part of efforts to combat the illegal online trade in wildlife.

According to SAPS, the jackal pup was being kept inside a house and had allegedly been advertised for sale on a social media platform.

The animal was rescued after the information was followed up by an integrated team.

The 19-year-old was issued with a R3 000 fine in terms of Section 40(1)(c) of the Free State Nature Conservation Ordinance 8 of 1969.

The operation also led to the arrest of a 30-year-old man in Reitz who allegedly advertised a leopard tortoise for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

The suspect was traced to his workplace and accompanied officials to his residence, where the tortoise was found and rescued before it could allegedly be sold.

He was arrested for allegedly possessing a protected wild animal without the required permits and conducting a restricted activity without the necessary authorisation, in contravention of Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.

SAPS said the cases highlighted growing concerns about the use of social media platforms to facilitate the illegal trade in wildlife.

Members of the public have been urged to familiarise themselves with laws governing the possession, transportation and trade of wild animals.

Authorities warned that wild animals may not be collected, possessed, transported or kept without the required permits or authorisation from the relevant provincial conservation authorities.