[imagesource: Facebook / South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre]

Tigers on the loose in the East Rand, a former Springbok captain tackling a shoplifter while getting his braai vleis, the SONA disaster – one would think that South Africa can’t get any more South African.

But it has, because why? Because this country never ceases to shock and entertain.

This time, the “suspicious contents” of a PostNet package at a Pretoria branch turned out to be several live reptiles.

A PostNet employee realised the parcel contained something unusual as it was being sent to its destination in KwaZulu-Natal.

That’s when the South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and snake catchers were called in to tend to the living parcel, TimesLIVE notes:

“The plea for assistance reached our Pretoria snake removal WhatsApp group and one of our dedicated permitted rescuers made her way to the PostNet premises. The suspicious packages contained several individually packed reptiles, including protected sungazer lizards (Smaug giganteus), also known as ‘Ouvolk’.

“These magnificent reptiles are sought after in the pet and traditional medicine trade, locally and overseas. Despite their ‘vulnerable’ conservation status they are still illegally harvested by poachers.”

The South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre posted about this maddening ‘only in South Africa’ moment on Facebook:

The Ouvolk is protected under the Threatened or Protected Species (ToPS) Act, while the Van Dam’s girdled lizards, which were also found in the package, are schedule II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), the organisation said:

“Getting caught with ToPS species illegally requires a criminal arrest, as it is beyond paying a mere fine for an offence of this nature. A criminal case is opened and offenders are required to appear in court,” the centre said.

Apparently, chaos ensued when the Gauteng department of agricultural and rural development was called in:

“While waiting for the authorities, the sender of the parcel arrived at the PostNet branch as he had been contacted about a snake that escaped from one of the parcels he dropped off. Turmoil ensued as various role players, who had been contacted, quickly pulled together to corner the suspects while our rescuer hid with the animals until the authorities were on site.”

The two suspects who were arrested on the scene had more illegal animals on their property, which included other ToPS species: a young Southern African python (Python natalensis), bullfrogs, a boomslang, monitor lizards, chameleons and other reptiles were also confiscated.

Besides those offences, the suspects are also being charged for attempting to send or transport wildlife over the post.

The suspects were scheduled to appear in court today.

Is it just me, or is this country getting wilder by the minute?

[source:timeslive]