Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Succulent Poaching

latest news & developments
The Richtersveld Desert Botanical Garden, a first of its kind in South Africa, opened its doors in August. It aims to be a living bank of the endangered and threatened plant species in the region. (All photos by Ashraf Hendricks)
AI AIS RICHTERSVELD TRANSFRONTIER PARK
Video

How a desert garden is saving the Northern Cape’s endangered plants

Endangered succulents in the Richtersveld have been given a lifeline from poaching, mining, overgrazing, and climate change

  • Liezl Human
3 min read
The men were sentenced for poaching 303 rate specied found in the Northern and Western Cape. Photo: WWF
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Illegal succulent trade is the Western Cape’s most prevalent wildlife crime

CapeNature says 650 species and more than 1.2 million harvested wild plants have been seized in the past four years

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
Endangered species: The Halfmens is a tree-like succulent plant species devoid of branches, which is the most iconic of the Richtersveld
AI AIS RICHTERSVELD TRANSFRONTIER PARK

Halfmens: Four succulent poachers jailed for seven years in Northern Cape

‘Worst case in history of Richtersveld National Park’ SANParks said of the incident, which involved the attempted poaching of 14 endangered Halfmens succulents

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
Safe for now: Succulents confiscated from poachers are stored at the /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Gauteng residents sign up to save succulents

About 200 000 mostly dwarf succulents confiscated from poachers have to be cared for while police continue their investigations

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read