The Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism says five youth have been arrested for dealing in bush meat.

The spokesperson of the ministry, Brigadier General Khamis Adhiang, says the young men were found carrying more than 180 kilograms of bush meat in Juba on Sunday.

He told Eye Radio that this quantity of meat could have been from about 40 different wild animals.

“They are detained and we have opened a police case against them,” Brig. Khamis said.

“But our law is very loose. Let’s say it is fragile. It is soft. The fine is 120SSP. It less than one US dollar,” he said.

Brigadier Khamis also warned that bush meat is not safe.

“Sometimes, when we ambush these charcoal producing sites, we get different skins … even dog skins. So, people should not be sure that they are eating wildlife meat,” he said.

“It is not wildlife meat. It is mixed. So, I am not discouraging people, but it is a reality that should be mentioned.

Brigadier Khamis said some species could be on the decline in different parks, saying some animals that were marked for satellite tracking are no longer visible in the range.