Buses seized with bushmeat. (-)

Wildlife conservation authorities have seized two commercial buses smuggling 15 bags of bushmeat and arrested 10 suspected poachers along the Juba-Bor Road on Friday.

The incident, which is not the first of its kind, manifests the rampant poaching in several parks and reserves including Bandinglo, Nimule and Boma.

The vice reportedly fueled by the proliferation of firearms, threatens several species of South Sudan’s diverse wildlife.

First Lieutenant Jimmy John, the Database Officer in the Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism identified the two commercial trucks as Eco bus bearing plate number 552A/SSD and Trinity bus with plate number 439F/SSD.

He added that the buses were heading to Juba from Bor when they were impounded.

Mr. Jimmy said ten suspects including the two drivers were detained.

“We detained two commercial buses bearing the trademark of Eco Bus and Trinity Bus, with the number 552A/SSD and a Trinity bus carrying number plate 439F/SSD loaded with 15 sacks filled with wild animal meat,” he said.

“These vehicle work in transporting freight from Juba to Uganda and from Bor to Juba and then to Uganda. 10 suspects were arrested, including the two drivers and the owners of the eight meats.”

On his part, General Agri Lasu Wani, the Deputy Director General of Wildlife Conservation said wildlife wardens have often arrested poachers smuggling bushmeat from South Sudan to Uganda.

General Lasu, however, expressed shock over Friday’s incident, in which buses mean to transport passengers were found filled with bushmeat instead.

He said the suspects will be prosecuted and held accountable in a competent court of law.

According to him, those involved in poaching must be punished in order to discourage others from indulging in the act.

“We have been seizing vehicles and motorcycles even individuals smuggling wild animal meat.  But did we also seize buses carrying meat instead of transporting passengers? This is unbelievable. I have not seen buses transporting meat,” he said.

“We are requesting that law enforcement agencies specially the ones dealing with the court of law, that these people have to be prosecuted because if we keep arresting people without taking them to court, they will keep doing this.”

“We want to make sure that these people are prosecuted according to South Sudan Law.”

South Sudan has six national parks and ten game reserves, where much of its wildlife can be seen – from giraffe and bongo to lions and African wild dogs.

The country is known to be a home for elephants, a great number of cheetahs, ostrich, Nile crocodiles, and pangolins, among others, but are at risk of extinction.

Endangered species also include black and white rhinos, lions and African leopards.