The Maputo Judicial Court this Thursday sentenced a man to 30 years in prison for killing 42 lions, 20 elephants and four rhinoceroses, the conservation organization said.
The 51-year-old defendant was also ordered to pay the equivalent of a two-year fine after parts of illegal animals were found at his home, including 14 skulls, 128 tail tufts, 88 claws, 24 jaws. and 57 kilograms of lion bones, packaged in three bags, Moçambique Bio reported on its Facebook page.
Mozambican authorities also found 55 ivory cigarette butts and 74 elephant bones during searches of the man’s home in Maputo province, seizing a total of 629.72 kilograms of animal parts.
The man was arrested on December 5, 2022 in the center of Maputo in possession of more than nine kilograms of fauna products, which he intended to sell to people of Asian origin.
Poaching in Mozambique poses a serious threat to wildlife, but authorities estimate that elephant killings have fallen in recent years due to law enforcement and conservation efforts.
According to the National Administration of Nature Reserves (ANAC), there are about 10 thousand elephants in Mozambique.
More recent reports show that the country lost 48% of its elephant population between 2011 and 2016.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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