Africa: The Continental Killing Fields
“Traffickers are usually doing leopard skins; it’s good business for them … I definitely see an increase in it.”
— Ofir Drori, Founder, EAGLE Network
The African leopard is being traded at an alarming rate, not just for its bones destined for traditional medicine, but for its skin—a symbol of status, power, and tradition across the continent. While the iconic spots of the leopard have long been a ceremonial emblem for royalty and religious groups, the commercial demand is now driving a surge in trafficking that threatens the species’ very survival. Ofir Drori, whose EAGLE Network conducts undercover sting operations across nine African countries, notes that his teams successfully seize around 30 leopard skins per year. Yet, he is the first to admit this represents only a “tiny fraction” of the actual trade flowing through vast, underground markets. This section of Blood of the Leopard investigates the scale, routes, and drivers of the leopard trade in Africa, highlighting the fight to enforce the law in the face of corruption and growing demand.
The Section: Africa’s Leopard Trade
The Scale of the Threat
For decades, the leopard has been a silent casualty of Africa’s complex human-wildlife interface. A landmark study published in 2025 revealed that leopards are among the most commonly exploited wildcats on the continent, driven by a demand for their skins, claws, teeth, and bones for traditional attire, medicine, and as status symbols . The trade is not a new phenomenon, but its intensity is growing. As Drori states, the business is booming: “Traffickers are usually doing leopard skins; it’s good business for them … I definitely see an increase in it.“
This assessment is echoed in the data. The EAGLE Network, an organization Drori founded in 2003 that operates in nine African countries, has helped arrest and jail over 3,000 wildlife traffickers . A core part of their work involves targeting kingpins, not just the poachers on the ground. Drori argues that conservation has been misguided for too long: “We do not have a poaching problem. Poachers do not work independently, they are merely the agents used by organized and coordinated traffickers” . The EAGLE Network’s model focuses on shifting the focus from poachers to traffickers, fighting corruption, and ensuring that laws are applied .
The seizures paint a grim picture. In a single operation in Gabon in June 2022, authorities arrested three traffickers in possession of 81kg of ivory and a leopard skin, with one of the suspects being a worker in the secretariat of the State Prosecutor who had allegedly obtained tusks from the court evidence room . In another case in the Republic of Congo, two traffickers were arrested with two leopard skins concealed in a suitcase . These are not isolated incidents; they are snapshots of a continuous and pervasive crime.
The “Tiny Fraction” of the Trade
Despite these successes, Drori’s warning about the scale of the trade is a stark reality check. The EAGLE Network’s undercover operations, which use sophisticated techniques like hidden cameras and informants, manage to seize around 30 leopard skins per year. While this is a significant achievement, Drori emphasizes it is only a “tiny fraction” of what is actually moving through the supply chains. The vast majority of leopard skins, bones, and body parts are trafficked undetected, feeding both domestic ceremonial markets and the international trafficking networks we have documented elsewhere.
This reality is driven by a convergence of factors:
- Cultural Demand: The study published in early 2025 highlighted that leopards are highly sought after for cultural practices across more than 48 African countries . From the 9 million members of the Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe) in South Africa, for whom leopard skins are essential regalia, to the royal symbols of the amaZulu and Barotse kingdoms, the cultural value is immense .
- Corruption: Drori has been outspoken that “corruption is by far a bigger problem than lack of capacity” . The EAGLE Network has successfully prosecuted high-level officials, including the former head of CITES in Guinea, Ansoumane Doumbouya, for issuing falsified permits . This corrupt ecosystem allows traffickers to operate with impunity.
- Crime Convergence: As we have seen elsewhere, the trafficking of leopard parts is often linked to broader criminal networks. A single arrest can uncover a multi-species cache: in one case, a trafficker in Gabon was found with two elephant tusks, a leopard skin, a python head, giant pangolin scales, and 12 leopard teeth .
The Path Forward
The fight against leopard trafficking in Africa is a fight against a sophisticated, well-connected, and lucrative criminal enterprise. The EAGLE Network’s approach—investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and publicity—demonstrates that progress is possible, but it requires sustained effort and a focus on the entire chain of corruption.
Drori’s work serves as a critical reminder that without tackling the systemic corruption that facilitates the trade, conservation efforts will continue to fall short. As he puts it, the issue is not a lack of capacity, but a lack of governance . For Blood of the Leopard, the African dimension remains a priority. Our next updates will focus on specific source-country dynamics, the impact on vulnerable populations like the West African leopard, and further integration of investigative findings on the ground.