This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife crime is one of the pressing environmental issues of our time.
Wildlife crime investigations are generally covert operations requiring utmost confidentiality to succeed. Investigations and prosecutions in complex cases may take months or even years to complete. For this reason, the information that can be released to the public without compromising cases is often limited. Nonetheless, the Namibian government strives to share as much information as possible with the public.
The Namibian media has welcomed this approach and regularly publishes statistics and feature articles on wildlife crime. These are entered into the database at regular intervals, creating a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
More than a week after the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources announced a N$10 000 reward for information regarding the deliberate killing of Cape Cormorants near Henties Bay, no leads have emerged. The ministry's spokesperson, Uaripi Katjiukua, confirmed on Thursday that not a single member of the public has come forward with vital information. "We are, however, confident that some information will be forthcoming and that we will be able to initiate a criminal investigation soon," she said.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_NS10 000 reward for environmental terrorist still unclaimed_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 50.26 KB |
The global demand for ivory is driving heavily armed poachers from Chad and Sudan into Cameroon's Bouba Ndjida National Park. two decades, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants programme has recorded 3,004 elephants illegally killed in this region. In April 2023, several were killed in Chad’s Beinamar area, close to the Cameroon border, sparking concerns about a potential resurgence of poaching. The Bouba Ndjida National Park in Cameroon’s North Region shares a border with the Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve in Chad.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
CAM_2025_01_Elephant poaching_Expanding Cameroons green militarisation_Daily Maverick.pdf | 318.54 KB |
Two police officers have been arrested while in possession of Sh4.9 million worth of ivory tusks in Athi River, Machakos county. The duo, according to police, was nabbed along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway within Kyumbi Township. The matter was reported to Kyumbi police station as the arrest of police officers. Police said the officers were arrested by their two colleagues. “The KWS officers both of KWS headquarters, Nairobi, acting on a tip managed to arrest the officers.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
KEN_2025_01_Kenya_Cops arrested with Sh4_9m ivory tusks in Machakos_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 267.46 KB |
A new investigation by wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC has uncovered an "alarming" slew of online adverts offering illegal wildlife products for sale in Vietnam, despite pledges from multiple platforms to clamp down on such content. The report, based on monitoring of social media groups and e-commerce platforms in Vietnam between June 2021 and July 2023, focuses on items made from body parts of elephants, rhinos, pangolins, tigers, tortoises and freshwater turtles.
When people think of wildlife trade, they often picture smugglers sneaking in rare and endangered species from far-off countries. Yet most wildlife trade is actually legal, and the United States is one of the world's biggest wildlife importers. New research that we and a team of colleagues published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that, over the last 22 years, people in the U.S. legally imported nearly 2.85 billion individual animals representing almost 30,000 species.
UK trade in ivory from hippos, narwhals, orcas and sperm whales has been banned as part of conservation efforts, the Government has said. The Ivory Act, introduced to protect elephants, has been extended to ban the importing, exporting and dealing in items containing ivory from the four species, the Environment Department (Defra) said. People breaking the rules by trading in ivory – found in teeth and tusks - from the species could face an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
UK_2025_01_Hippos_narwhals_sperm whales and orcas get protection from trade in ivory_Independent.pdf | 231.27 KB |
Johannesburg - SANParks is welcoming hefty sentences handed to rhino poachers by the Skukuza Regional Court. Four men, including a former field ranger, were arrested in Skukuza in 2019 following a tip-off. Poaching equipment and a set of rhino horns were seized.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Rhino poaching_SANParks welcomes hefty court sentences_ENCA.pdf | 201.8 KB |
Police have commended the sentencing of three wildlife poachers, who have been found guilty of a number of serious crimes by the Skukuza Regional Court. Two South African citizens, Sam Khosa (40) and Solly Bennett Selahle (30), and Mozambican national, Oddis Maluleke (46), were sentenced by the court on Friday, 24 January. During proceedings, the court heard that on Friday, 15 February 2019, a regional field ranger observed suspicious activity inside the Kruger National Park (KNP) involving the accused individuals.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_South Africa_Rhino poachers handed prison Sentences_All Africa.pdf | 60.76 KB |
A group of highly endangered black rhinos is protected until 6 March to be peacefully protected by the conservation areas - Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas - to walk. Then the court dispute will proceed to determine whether mining operations may continue in this area. Acting High Court Judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi ordered on Tuesday that the trial over planned open-pit tin mines in the area will not proceed until March. Until then, interdicts against further development of any new mining operations in the area remain in force.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Tin mining or rhino conservation_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 440.77 KB |
Bangkok: More than a hundred baby tortoises, most of them dead, have been returned to Tanzania from Thailand as evidence in a case against a wildlife smuggling network, the international police organisation Interpol said Friday.
Vietnam's apparent reluctance to share DNA samples of smuggled horns with South Africa - the country with the largest remaining populations of rhinos in the world, albeit decimated by a relentless wave of poaching over recent decades - has been criticised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Sabi Sand Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger experienced zero rhino poaching incidents in more than 500 days. The prestigious private reserve attributed the feat to several measures, including cutting-edge technologies like surveillance drones, real-time tracking, and AI-powered tools. Among the entities the reserve thanked for the technological solution to help combat poaching is the Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF). The CCF is working with 19 reserves across Africa and South America to test and improve tech solutions for conservation.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Kick in the teeth for rhino poachers at top South African game reserve_My Boardband.pdf | 248.03 KB |
Fifteen people accused of financial crimes related to rhino poaching briefly appeared in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on Monday. Among the accused were two former field rangers and some of their relatives. While the majority of the respondents appear to be from a humble background, almost all of them are represented by private advocates. Although the State was ready to commence with trial proceedings, the matter was provisionally postponed to February 27 for possible pretrial conference.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_15 accused of rhino poaching_linked financial crimes appear in Mbombela court_Citizen.pdf | 177.14 KB |
Vietnam's apparent reluctance to share DNA samples of smuggled horns with South Africa - the country with the largest remaining populations of rhinos in the world, albeit decimated by a relentless wave of poaching over recent decades - has been criticised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Listen to this article 11 min Listen to this article 11 min Vietnam has come under fire for its 'passive approach' to sharing crucial evidence that could help South African forensic experts trace the exact origin of horns smuggled…
One of the key takeaways from the Snare Mitigation Symposium held in Pretoria in September 2024 was the issue of the prosecution and sentencing of snare poachers in South Africa. High-profile cases of rhino horn and elephant ivory trafficking are headline-grabbing, but meat poaching using snares and dogs is probably a more serious issue. The effects of snare poaching are staggering, and while anti-poaching operations are vital, the current laws and enforcement need to be examined.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_The challenges of prosecuting snare poachers in South Africa_Patrol.pdf | 226.94 KB |
Last week, according to social media, a previously unknown vehicle reportedly drove at high speed into a flock of cormorants near "Canopy" north of Cape Cross. The incident, which was discovered on Friday, left dozens of cormorants lying dead, seriously injured or maimed. The cormorants, which are known to take off slowly in flight, were apparently unable to escape the oncoming vehicle, which was apparently deliberately targeting the flock. Numerous birds suffered serious injuries, others lay dead on the ground.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_An act of Cruelty_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 200.47 KB |
The assertion that mining and conservation can coexist in fragile ecosystems is disingenuous. Our operations depend on black rhinos, a species critically sensitive to noise and human disturbance. Evidence shows mining activities – including heavy machinery and blasting – force rhinos to abandon their habitats, destroying the tourism models reliant on them. The Huab Conservancy serves as a cautionary tale: mining in the area led to the loss of tourism operations, community income, and conservation efforts – all without any meaningful benefit to the local population.
Cape Town - The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) said it would focus on disrupting local and international poaching this year. This comes after Cape Town metro police arrested a suspect for allegedly poaching 250 kilogrammes of abalone in Hout Bay last week. The bust has put a spotlight on poaching in the country. DFFE Minister Dion George commended the City of Cape Town's metro police for retrieving the poached abalone last Thursday. George said he would be making an extra effort to target poachers this year.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_DFFE promises to disrupt local and international poachers operating in SA_EWN.pdf | 85.79 KB |
Four days of court transcriptions seem be missing in the trial of alleged rhino poaching kingpin Joseph Nyalungu and his three remaining co-accused, Claude Lubisi, Aretha Mhlanga and Rachel Qwebana. This emerged as the quartet of former police officers briefly appeared in the Mpumalanga High Court this morning, January 17. Their appearance follows a postponement late last year to settle financial instructions in a trial that commenced more than three years ago, in September 2021.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Transcripts missing in alleged rhino poaching kingpin Joseph Nyalungus trial_LowVelder.pdf | 166.24 KB |
For over two decades, Chinese businessman Hou Xue Cheng has danced through Namibia's legal system, mysteriously dodging convictions for alleged death threats, wildlife crimes, smuggling, money laundering and corruption. Hou, also referred to as the Mafia Boss, was arrested with an accomplice on 7 January, after allegedly attempting to smuggle seal genitals from Namibia to Angola. His latest arrest was treated as routine, with no fanfare or media statement released by the authorities. But a closer look shows that Hou has been dodging prosecution in Namibia for over 20 years.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Chinas untouchable Hou How mafia boss keeps evading justice in Namibia_The Issue.pdf | 79.47 KB |
The former police constable who appeared in the KaBokweni Magistrate's Court on fraud charges on January 8 is also an accused in several rhino poaching-related cases. According to Mpumalanga News, Thembi Aretha Mhlanga (47) is one of four accused, alongside alleged rhino poaching kingpin Joseph 'Big Joe' Nyalungu, Claude Lubisi, and Rachel Qwebana. In her latest legal trouble, Mhlanga was arrested with Sarel Sithole (37) after allegedly swapping a bank card belonging to a 71-year-old woman.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Fraud_accused former Skukuza cop also faces rhino poaching_related charges_Caxton.pdf | 152.68 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Hunting for Poachers Amid South Africas Bloody Wildlife War_Outdoor Life.pdf | 3.45 MB |
Berlin, Germany - The Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, INTERPOL and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are joining forces to combat the devastating impact of environmental crime. With a EUR 5 million investment from the German government's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the three-year project aims to identify and prevent transnational crimes impacting the climate, biodiversity and the environment across five key areas: fisheries crime, forestry crime, illegal mining, pollution crime, and wildlife crime.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
INT_2025_01_Tackling Environmental Crime_Germany_INTERPOL and WWF unite efforts_Interpol.pdf | 479.66 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
TAN_2025_01_Lunga Lunga_106 kg ivory left behind as suspects escape_Seej Africa.pdf | 294.25 KB |
Masai giraffe calves and other juvenile African wildlife are being exported from Tanzania to the Sharjah Safari in Al Dhaid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the pleasure of Dubai royalty and tourists. Human Rights Watch reports that the shooting and capture of animals, including the endangered Masai giraffe, and their transfer to Dubai are part of a long-running syndicate between successive Tanzanian governments and the Otterlo (sometimes Ortello) Business Corporation (OBC). This syndicate has been active since Ali Hassan Mwinyi’s presidency in the 1980s and 1990s.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
TAN_2025_01_Fauna_Elite syndicate threatens Tanzanias Masai giraffe_Enact Africa.pdf | 138.66 KB |
Two suspected rhino poachers have been shot and killed in the Kruger National Park's Sabie Sands in Mpumalanga. According to the police, the park's rangers spotted the two poachers and when approached, they opened fire on the rangers. The rangers retaliated and fatally shot the suspected poachers. Provincial police spokesperson Jabu Ndubane says police found two hunting rifles and 16 rounds of ammunition. "The two suspects were spotted and opened fire instead of running and a shootout between the rangers and the poachers ensued.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Two suspected rhino poachers killed at Kruger National Park_SABC News.pdf | 194.59 KB |
Masai giraffe calves and other juvenile African wildlife are being exported from Tanzania to the Sharjah Safari in Al Dhaid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the pleasure of Dubai royalty and tourists. Human Rights Watch reports that the shooting and capture of animals, including the endangered Masai giraffe, and their transfer to Dubai are part of a long-running syndicate between successive Tanzanian governments and the Otterlo (sometimes Ortello) Business Corporation (OBC). This syndicate has been active since Ali Hassan Mwinyi's presidency in the 1980s and 1990s.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
TAN_2025_01_Tanzania_Elite syndicate threatens tanzanias Masai Giraffe_Enact.pdf | 364.41 KB |
Poaching threatens the survival of savanna elephants in Central Africa. Over the last two decades, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants programme has recorded 3 004 illegal elephant kills in this region. In April 2023, several elephants were killed in the Beinamar region of Chad, close to the Cameroon border, sparking concerns about a potential resurgence of poaching in this region. The Bouba Ndjida National Park, located in the North Region of Cameroon, shares a border with the Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve in Chad.
A series of environmental disasters in Zimbabwe have raised concern about the industry’s regulation and government’s ability to protect the environment. The disasters, including the death of 19 hippopotamuses in the Sapi Safari Area and Chirundu, along the Zambezi Valley, are believed to be a result of improper disposal of toxic chemicals, including cyanide and mercury, used in mining processes.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2025_01_Hippo deaths spark environmental concerns_News Daily.pdf | 129.55 KB |
While visitors to the Kruger Park were enjoying their peaceful festive season bush breaks, poachers were quietly mowing down rhinos within the Intensive Protection Zone. A staggering 27% of all rhinos poached in the Kruger National Park last year is understood to have been slaughtered in December. Three of these were slaughtered for their horns around Christmas, and another at New Year’s Eve, leaving two young calves orphaned.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Festive season a bloodbath for Kruger rhinos_Citizen.pdf | 462.17 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Limpopo man in court for illegal possession of pangolin_Herald.pdf | 196.45 KB |
The Ministry of Environment (MEFT), in cooperation with the police and the Namibian Defence Forces (NDF), arrested two suspects found in possession of four elephant tusks in the Zambezi region at around 11pm last Thursday. "The suspects, aged 23 and 25, both male nationals of Zambia, are charged with illegal possession of controlled wildlife products and for violating the Immigration Control Act 7/1993 for illegally entering Namibia," the environment ministry said.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Two Zambians caught in possession of tusks_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 167.8 KB |
Police in Mpumalanga are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 19 rhino at the Kruger National Park. This follows the discovery of their carcasses in December. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli says they suspect most of the rhino were killed for their horns. "Though we know there was that project where SANParks was removing all the rhino horns but however the minute it starts growing, then these poachers try to take advantage. So the investigation is ongoing. We had in December an incident where two Mozambican nationals went into the Kruger National…
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Police investigate death of 19 rhino at KNP_SABC News.pdf | 192.93 KB |
South Africa's succulents - small, fleshy, green plants sometimes shaped like roses or stars, and often found peeping out between rocks in dry areas - are sought after by an increasingly international collector market. The popular Conophytum, Lithops and Tylecodon are part of the group of rare and aesthetically unique succulents which are now being illegally traded all over the world. Since 2019, over 1 million succulent plants from 650 species unique to South Africa have been illegally harvested in South Africa.
The unprecedented onslaught against South African succulents now includes beautiful and rare clivias, which are being illegally harvested to extinction to supply markets abroad. In 2023, the ENACT organised crime project outlined the global illegal trade in southern Africa’s succulent flora, and suggested ways to strengthen implementation of South Africa's National Response Strategy and Action Plan. In September 2024, guided by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), stakeholders met to consider progress, using ENACT's recommendations as a benchmark.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2025_01_Rare clivias targeted in southern Africas evolving illegal plant trade_Daily Maevrick.pdf | 375.14 KB |
The police in the Ohangwena region have arrested two men aged 26 and 51 found in possession of pangolin skin worth N$50 000 at Okongo on Tuesday. Ohangwena police crime investigations coordinator, deputy commissioner Melanie Mbuuru, said the suspects were arrested around 11h15 at a shopping complex in the Okongo district. According to Mbuuru, the suspects face charges of the possession of protected game products without a permit. The suspects are expected to appear before the Eenhana Magistrate’s Court this week. Police investigations into the matter continue.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Two caught with pangolin skin in Ohangwena_The Namibian.pdf | 194.15 KB |
The Namibian Police Force in the Ohangwena Region has arrested two men, aged 26 and 51, after they were found in possession of pangolin skin in Okongo. Ohangwena Crime Investigation Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Melanie Mbuuru, said the suspects were arrested around 11:15 at the Pick n Pay complex in the Okongo district on Tuesday. According to Mbuuru, the suspects were found in possession of protected game products without a permit.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Two apprehended for possession of pangolin skin_Informante.pdf | 46.94 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2025_01_Custodians in Rhino Conservation_HuntiNamibia.pdf | 277.26 KB |
Community-led antitrafficking networks are proving pivotal in helping authorities intercept poachers targeting critically endangered and endemic tortoises in southern Madagascar’s fast-disappearing spiny forests. Illegal hunting, both for their meat and to supply the pet trade, has decimated the species’ population in recent decades. Indigenous people living in the range of the imperiled species are motivated to protect them due to long-standing traditional beliefs that value and respect the tortoises.
Conservationists have raised the alarm about the rapid decline in Nigeria’s lion population, which now stands at fewer than 50 wild lions; a stark contrast to the thousands that roamed the country decades ago. They urged Nigerians to protect lions by reducing illegal bushmeat consumption, supporting better protection of their shrinking habitat, and championing anti-poaching measures. The experts also cautioned that losing these apex predators would have devastating consequences for Nigeria’s ecosystems and cultural heritage, as well as its tourism potential.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NIG_2024_12_How decline in lion population is affecting Nigerias tourism potential_The Guardian.pdf | 215.18 KB |
The Istanbul Airport seizure of a smuggled baby gorilla on Dec. 22, has led to significant developments in Thailand. Acting on information shared by Turkish authorities following the smuggling case, Thai police raided a farm in Nakhon Pathom province, uncovering 284 animals from 22 species, raising concerns about illegal wildlife trade.
South Africa and Nambia's biodiversity has given rise to a wave of illegal activities, orchestrated by organized crime groups. These groups have sprung up as a result of the demand for unique plants known as succulents. South Africa's biodiversity is being threatened by organized crime groups involved in illegal poaching of rare succulent plants. Succulents are found in the Succulent Karoo desert in South Africa and Namibia, known for their ability to retain water in harsh conditions.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_12_Illegal ivory vehicle overturns_New Era.pdf | 138.89 KB |
South Africa has faced a surge in poaching of rare succulents by criminal syndicates since 2019. A recent spike in prices paid for a different kind of plant, a drylands-adapted lily, the miracle clivia (Clivia mirabilis), has drawn the attention of plant-trafficking syndicates to the lone reserve where it grows. Large numbers of clivias have been seized by law enforcement, raising fears that this rare plant is quickly being wiped out from the limited range where it’s known to occur.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2024_12_Poachers target South Africas miracle plant with near impunity_Mongabay.pdf | 616.41 KB |
Acting on a tip-off, Mpumalanga police nabbed two men with a stash of rifles near the Kruger National Park. The suspects, aged 37 and 38, were arrested on Monday, 16 December. Police received crucial intel that was swiftly acted upon by the Tactical Response Team. Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, Mpumalanga police spokesman, said: "An intelligence operation was immediately launched, leading us to two houses in Kabokweni and Pienaar, near the Kruger border."
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2024_12_Poachers caught red_handed_Daily Sun.pdf | 237.77 KB |
Two men, aged 37 and 38, were arrested on Monday, December 16, in a coordinated operation targeting suspected poachers near the Kruger National Park. The arrests, carried out by the SA Police Service (SAPS) Tactical Response Team (TRT), followed intelligence from the police’s Crime Intelligence Structure said the Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2024_12_Police seize rifles and arrest suspected poachers during raids_Independent Online.pdf | 133.09 KB |
An incident of illegal hunting involving protected game was reported to the police in Omaruru on Friday after the remains of a waterbuck and an ostrich were discovered on a farm in the area. The exact time of the crime is unknown, but the police suspect it occurred between 27 and 29 November. The head and intestines of the waterbuck, as well as the legs of the ostrich, were found at the scene of the crime. No arrests have been made yet.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_12_Waterbuck and ostrich hunted illegally at Omaruru_Informante.pdf | 43.16 KB |
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has condemned the illegal harvesting of the West Coast Rock Lobster and the indiscriminate targeting of its egg-bearing females. These illegal activities destroy millions of potential lobsters that could contribute to a sustainable marine ecosystem and could also provide much-needed economic opportunities to local communities.
Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo - Amid a circle of spectators, a troupe of performers takes center stage. Songs resound, accompanied by the beat of drums and lively dances. A large banner carries a powerful message: "The future of our environment depends on our behavior today." The drumming soon gives way to a play performed in Swahili. We're in Kanyaruchinya, in the Nyiragongo territory of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some 200,000 people have sought refuge in the southern part of the province, seeing a conflict that has been raging since…
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
DRC_2024_12_DRCs reliance on charcoal threatens forests and fuels armed conflict_Mongabay.pdf | 472.3 KB |