South Africa seizes 12 boxes of lion bones bound for Malaysia

The shipment, comprised of 12 boxes of bones, was pulled for inspection at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesday because it had not been properly documented, a statement from the ministry said."When the shipment was inspected, 12 boxes of lion bones wrapped in aluminum foil and weighing 342 kg were discovered," the statement said.Three men — two Zimbabweans and a Congolese man — were arrested in connection with the shipment, environment ministry spokesman Albi Modise told CNN.Lion bones are used for traditional medicines in Asia, according to the international wildlife charity Born Free Foundation.Trade in bones of captive-bred lions is legal in South Africa but the suspects had failed to obtain a special permit required for the export, Modise said.More than 6,000 lion skeletons were exported from South Africa to countries in Asia in the last decade, according to scientists studying the trade.Between 6,000 and 8,000 lions are bred and held in lion farms iRead More – Source