Nigeria has burned $1.4m (£1.2m) worth of pangolin scales in a stand against trafficking, officials said.
It is the first time the nation has publicly destroyed seized wildlife products for this reason.
The pangolin is one of the world’s most trafficked mammals – their scales are in high demand in traditional Chinese medicine.
Nigeria is a major transit hub for African pangolin scales and other wildlife products trafficked to Asia.
“These seized items represent the past we leave behind, but the destruction signifies the future we are determined to build for our planet,” Environment Minister Iziaq Adekunle said before the burning took place in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
“The destruction of these seized items is a powerful statement of our resolve to protect our environment, conserve our wildlife, and combat the illegal trade that drives species to the brink of extinction.”
The almost four tonnes of pangolin scales were destroyed alongside seized leopard, python and crocodile skins.
The agency had confiscated the scales in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) and a pan-African alliance named the Elephant Protection Initiative.
In August, the leaders of a global wildlife trafficking gang were convicted for smuggling pangolin scales after a four-year investigation and a trial in Nigeria.
These “top-of-the-pyramid” traffickers were responsible for half the illegal trade in pangolin scales.
And last year, Nigerian customs officials seized 1,613 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrested 14 people, Nigeria’s Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency said.
Populations of the critically endangered pangolin populations have declined by up to 80% in some parts of Africa in recent years.
According to UNDOC, seizures of pangolin scales increased tenfold between 2014 and 2018.
Credit: bbc.com
