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South Africa's succulent plants under threat from poachers in the Karoo

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A biodiversity hotspot in a remote part of South Africa has become the hub of an illegal trade in protected plant species.

Organised crime groups capitalise on overseas demand for 'super-strange looking' plants.

The Succulent Karoo desert, which spans South Africa and Namibia , has become a haven for poachers.

In South Africa , we know of seven species that has been wiped out completely.

Conservationists advise customers to ask about the origin of a plant, and under no circumstances should they buy those advertised as wild.

Kew Gardens recently announced that they were teaming up with eBay to develop new ways of preventing the sale of wild succulents on its platform.

In South Africa , conservationists say more should be done to promote the cultivation of plants that can be grown and harvested legally.