Mt. Darwin Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Pangolin Poaching

Tawanda Kakora, a 34-year-old man from Nyamaropa Village in Mt. Darwin, Zimbabwe, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for poaching and attempting to sell a live pangolin.

Kakora was arrested on September 30, 2023, after undercover detectives from the Bindura Criminal Investigations Department (CID) posed as potential buyers and arranged to meet him in Centenary. Kakora had offered to sell the pangolin for US$5,000 and led the detectives to his residence, where he retrieved the animal from one of his rooms.

During sentencing, Bindura magistrate Nomgugu Sibanda said there were no special circumstances warranting leniency. She noted that pangolins are endangered animals and that their poaching and trafficking is a serious crime.

Kakora’s case is one of several recent pangolin poaching arrests in Zimbabwe. On October 14, 2023, Douglas Chikandiwa, a 36-year-old man from Kwekwe, was arrested in Mazowe while looking for prospective buyers for a live pangolin. Chikandiwa is currently appearing in court on similar charges.

The sentencing of Kakora and the ongoing case against Chikandiwa send a strong message that Zimbabwe will not tolerate pangolin poaching or trafficking. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, and their populations are declining rapidly. Zimbabwe is a key range state for pangolins, and the government is committed to protecting these endangered animals.

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Pangolins are nocturnal animals that feed on ants and termites. They are known for their unique scales, which are made of keratin, the same material that makes up human hair and nails. Pangolin scales are in high demand in traditional Chinese medicine, where they are falsely believed to have curative properties.

Pangolin poaching is a major threat to the survival of these animals. In addition to the demand for their scales, pangolins are also hunted for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world.

The Zimbabwean government has taken a number of steps to combat pangolin poaching and trafficking, including increasing penalties for these crimes and working with international partners to disrupt pangolin trafficking networks. However, more needs to be done to protect these endangered animals.