South African succulents are under threat from poachers in the Karoo.

A biodiversity hotspot in a remote part of South Africa has become a hub for the illegal trade in protected plant species, with organized crime groups taking advantage of overseas demand.

“They’ve not only stolen our land or our plants, they’ve stolen our heritage,” a cattle farmer angrily tells the BBC, as she describes the social and environmental crisis caused by poaching. But expresses disappointment.

Most of the plants in question are types known as succulents, named for their ability to hold water and survive in dry climates.

Many of the world’s succulent species are found only in the Succulent Karoo Desert, which stretches into South Africa and Namibia.

Succulent species range in size, shape and color – some look like tiny multi-colored buttons and others look like cacti, producing colorful flowers at certain times of the year.

While these varieties can be cultivated in nurseries, global demand is also fueling poaching of the plants from wild animals, which are then smuggled to buyers in the US, Europe and East Asia and sold online.

In Kamiskaron, a small town in the heart of South Africa’s Namakoland region, the rolling hills have become a haven for hunters.

Some species are highly localized, and can therefore be wiped out by small amounts of poaching.

“In South Africa, we already know of seven species that are completely extinct and there are certainly more species that will become extinct very soon,” says Peter van Wyk, a nursery curator. is /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.

Statistics on how many plants are being poached are hard to come by, but the non-governmental organization Traffic reports that 1.6 million illegally harvested succulents were confiscated. by South African law enforcement agencies between 2019 and 2024. This represents only the contraband that was detected, so the actual figure is likely to be much higher.

The South African government is well aware of the problem, and unveiled a strategy to combat poaching in 2022. This includes conducting community programs on the need to protect the environment.

According to Mr Van Wyk and other conservationists, poaching of plants has been on the rise since the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.

Meanwhile, with international traders unable to travel to South Africa, they approached local people to collect the sap for them and ship it out of the country.

Mr Van Wyk says this coincides with an increase in global demand.

“People had more time to try to find something to occupy themselves with, and plants were one of the things that could connect you to the outside world, in your home.”

It has been hijacked by organized crime syndicates who hire teams of plant poachers and then market the wild plants on social media and e-commerce platforms.

“The syndicates saw it as an opportunity to make something viral… to tell as wide a public as possible: ‘We have this very strange thing that comes from the African continent’,” says Mr van Wyk. are

“Then the public just loses their head and they say: ‘I want to buy one’, and [the syndicates] Arrange for species hunting,” he adds.

The rise in organized crime activity in the region is having knock-on effects on local communities.

“This is a low-income area, people are not rich here, and people will take advantage of the income opportunities,” explains Melinda Gardner from Conservation South Africa.

Echoing similar sentiments, cattle farmers the BBC spoke to say there is always money flowing into the community when there is poaching.

“When we see youths going up into the hills, we know they are poachers,” added the farmer, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.

“They use screwdrivers to uproot the succulents and they carry bags and sacks to keep the stolen plants.”

After a few days, drinking and illegal activities begin.

“When they get the money, more drugs, more alcohol, the kids are neglected because mummy’s drunk, dad’s drunk, there’s no food,” Ms Gardner added.

He fears the stress will have long-term effects.

“The small communities here really need each other… but it creates mistrust. It also divides the communities,” she says.

Mr. Van Wyk’s assessment is great: “People are being abused and enslaved by syndicates and buyers.”

Efforts are being made to raise awareness among buyers about the importance of understanding where the plant comes from.

China has become a major source of demand for wild succulents in the past few years, but an Internet campaign to educate people about the illegal succulent trade there has yielded few results.

The Clean Internet for Conophytum campaign was launched in March 2023 by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation.

According to Linda Wong, the foundation’s deputy secretary-general, they have seen an 80 percent drop in online advertisements for conophytum — a type of succulent — from an unknown source, and buyers are starting to ask questions about what is being sold online. Where did the plants come from? .

“The key is awareness. Once people know, they want to take action. They are responsible for eating these plants and enjoying their beauty in a very responsible way,” she tells the BBC. Want to take over.”

Conservationists advise consumers around the world to ask about the origin of a plant, and under no circumstances should they buy it as wild.

Traffic and the UK’s Kew Gardens recently announced that they are partnering with eBay. Developing new ways to stop the sale of wild succulents on our platform.

In South Africa, Mr Van Wyk says more must be done to promote the cultivation of resilients to reduce demand for poaching.

“We as a country need to say: ‘We have these resources, and there are other countries that are taking advantage of it, why not us?'” he tells the BBC.

Mr Van Wyk now runs a nursery in the Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park that cares for plants that have been confiscated by law enforcement, and says he has received more than 200,000 so far. are

“Watching things disappear is obviously stressful,” says Mr van Wyk. “But if you study these plants, it gives a lot of joy and happiness and you forget all the nonsense that goes on.” happening in the world.”