Two men have been arrested for trying to sell six lions illegally.
According to Potchefstroom Herald, Nico Scholtz (32) and Huu Tao Nguyen (53) were nabbed by the Hawks on a farm in the area.
Anyone who wants to keep, buy or sell wild animals, including lions, need a permit to do so.
In 2019, there were 7,979 lions in captivity in South Africa across 366 facilities.
The government has tightened controls around keeping lions and other apex predators in recent years, including reviewing current permits.
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