The disappearance of mopane worms, a vital source of income for many in South Africa's northern regions, severely impacted small business owners in Limpopo, South African media SABC reported.
Mopane worms are a famous delicacy in South Africa. Many hawkers relied on selling mopane worms to make a living.
"We have not seen them in years. They were all over this place. We don’t understand what happened to them. 90% of what we made came from mopane worms, that is the main source of income because they sell fast and are popular. Without them it has been a struggle for us to make profit. There’s a promise that maybe Zambia might have some this year. Normally mopane worms season starts in October and they thrive in rainy conditions so if it doesn’t not rain enough, they will all die,” one of the community members said.
Community leaders believe that the disappearance of mopane worms is linked to the extensive logging of mopane trees over many years, with some people cutting down trees for firewood for both domestic and commercial purposes.
“The people continue to chop the trees down and I think the government must stop this. They must outlaw the cutting down of the trees,” Eric Ntshengedzeni, community leader, stated.
Ecologists are currently investigating the cause of mopane worms disappearance.