Baobab trees, the world's largest succulent plants.
Baobab trees are classified as the world's largest succulent plants, storing up to 80% of their trunk volume as water to survive arid conditions. This massive, fibrous trunk acts like a giant cactus, allowing the tree to endure severe droughts and even survive being uprooted for years. While they are technically succulents due to their water-storing capacity, they are also deciduous trees that can reach heights of 82 feet (25 meters) and trunks up to 46 feet (14 meters) in diameter.
The Baobab, native to mainland Africa and Madagascar, is one of our astounding fellow-Earth inhabitants. In the hot, dry savannahs of Africa, where they are often referred to as the “Tree of Life,” Baobabs have been valued for centuries as sources of food, shelter, and water for many creatures, including baboons, birds, bats, elephants, and humans. The nutrition-dense fruit has a sweet-sour citrus taste.
Some believe that Baobabs can live forever. The oldest Baobab ever documented was 2,450 years old. When these magnificent trees do die, it is a dramatic collapse into a heap of rubble and dust. Many believe that the spirit of the tree remains behind to forever influence the area where it lived. Many legends have come out of the Baobab’s significance that touch on the mystery and spiritual connection between nature and humanity.
One African legend tells a story of “The Upside-Down Tree” who was one of the first trees created by God. The Baobab was not content and kept complaining. It was also arrogant and often boasted of its beauty. To teach the tree a lesson, God uprooted it and re-planted it upside down, hiding its beauty and creating a tree whose branches look like roots.
Baobabs can be seen on most of our Kruger National Park safaris, book them here:
Baobab trees seized in Durban ship warehouse probe.
Baobabs are among the nearly 50 specially protected indigenous tree species that may not be cut down, damaged, moved, stored, sold, transported or exported without a special official license from the DFFE. (South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment)
At least five large baobabs – with their roots and branches mostly severed – have been impounded at a Durban warehouse owned by Africa Global Logistics (AGL), a Paris-based subsidiary of the MSC Group (Mediterranean Shipping Company). Criminal charges have been laid after officials in Durban halted the shipping of several specially protected South African baobab trees, allegedly destined for a ‘landscaping project’ in the Black Sea nation of Georgia.
The identities of the Georgian buyers or their agents have not been disclosed, while AGL regional marketing manager Candy Botha proclaimed: “Our position remains that AGL, as a logistics service provider, is not the owner, exporter or permit holder in respect of the goods referred to in your enquiry.”
The Eurasian nation of Georgia, located between Russia and Turkey, is home to several billionaires, including politicians, business owners and fintech moguls. The climate features subtropical summer temperatures along the Black Sea coast, along with snow and sub-zero temperatures in the continental and inland mountain areas.
While AGL insists that it is simply a “service provider”, University of KwaZulu-Natal environmental law expert Professor Michael Kidd suggests that the activity of transporting protected trees could trigger legal prohibitions on both possession and transport.
“For that reason, we are simply not the appropriate party to confirm or comment on permit compliance, origin, destination, or related regulatory matters, as these fall within the remit of the owner/exporter and the competent regulatory authorities, including the DFFE, whom you have already mentioned.
“We also highlight, in the same spirit, that because we are not the permit holder, we are not in a position to confirm compliance either way and we suspect the same may apply to the information available to you at this stage.”
“... We are unable to disclose the identity or contact details of AGL’s client as this is confidential information. Should any competent authority require AGL’s assistance in identifying the relevant parties for regulatory purposes, we will of course cooperate through the appropriate official channels.”
We also invited AGL to advise its clients of our interest in the matter in order to clarify their position on the matter. Now, following Daily Maverick’s separate inquiries with the DFFE, it has come to light that there are, allegedly, no valid export licences – nor any valid permits for the uprooting and removal of the trees, which are believed to have been removed from the Waterberg district in Limpopo.
“The Adansonia digitata (baobab) tree species is also protected under the provincial legislation, the Limpopo Environmental Management Act (LEMA), 2003 (Act No. 7 of 2003). No permit was acquired under the LEMA.”
As a result the DFFE had opened criminal charges, in a case where the law provided for a fine or jail terms of up to three years. The DFFE has not responded yet to requests for clarity on the identity of all the parties facing criminal prosecution. Sources:
Daily Maverick, Wikipedia, Linda Rittenhouse.
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