LUSAKA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Friday expressed concern over rising arrests linked to the illegal trade in pangolins and their products.
Nelly Banda, principal public relations officer at the Ministry of Tourism, said the Department of National Parks and Wildlife recorded 154 pangolin-related arrests over the past two years, resulting in the recovery of 65 live pangolins, eight dead pangolins and 14 pangolin skins.
The statement came ahead of World Pangolin Day, observed annually on the third Saturday of February.
The figures underscore the seriousness of wildlife crime and the growing threats to Zambia's biodiversity, she said.
Banda said criminal networks are increasingly targeting and exploiting people from all sectors of society, including rural communities, to engage in illegal wildlife activities.
She warned the public against capturing, possessing, selling, buying, transporting or exporting pangolins or their products, noting that offenders face a minimum of five years in prison.
Banda reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting Zambia's wildlife heritage and promoting sustainable tourism, saying pangolins play an important role in maintaining ecological balance and that their survival is essential for future generations.
Zambia is home to two pangolin species, the Temminck's ground pangolin and the white-bellied tree pangolin, classified as vulnerable and endangered, respectively, and protected under national and international conservation frameworks, she said.
