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Victor Mulalo Ratombo (37).

Heavy sentence for man who only wanted a “pet”

 

The man who was caught with a live pangolin in his possession about a year ago pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him.

Victor Mulalo Ratombo (37) of Thohoyandou was arrested on 8 October last year after the Makhado Police discovered the pangolin, wrapped in a mealie meal bag, in the back of his vehicle. At the time it was suspected that Ratombo had tried to sell the pangolin, which is a very rare animal, at the taxi rank where he was arrested. Following his arrest, the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) took guardianship of the pangolin and saw to it that it was released in a nature reserve.

Apart from the fact that pangolins are extremely rare and a protected species, they are more threatened than rhinos. The value of a pangolin (on the black market) is estimated at around R150 000. A pangolin is also, as far as possible, sold or smuggled alive. In terms of Limpopo conservation laws, the pangolin is listed as a specially protected animal.

Ratombo’s defence was that he was not aware of the pangolin’s protected status. During his first court appearance last year, Ratombo said that he had discovered the animal in a field and decided to pick it up and take it home to keep it as a pet.

Ratombo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a fine of R40 000 or a term of three years' imprisonment, of which 18 months were suspended by the Waterval Magistrate's Court.

The pangolin that was rescued with the intervention of the Makhado SAPS and local SPCA.

 

Date:27 July 2015

By: Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

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