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.
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Environmentalists in Namibia have accused local wildlife officials of hiding the real extent of rhino poaching in the Etosha National Park, which holds the highest concentration of black rhinos in the world. The Ministry of Environment recently acknowledged that rhino killings at the park quadrupled during the first quarter of 2024. Namibian police apprehended two suspects Sunday for the killing of an adult female black rhino and a medium-sized male calf black rhino at the park's waterhole earlier that day.
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NAM_2024_04_Namibia rhino poaching on rise in first quarter of 2024_Voice of America.pdf | 28.05 KB |
Zambezi regional police arrested two Zambian nationals for possession of 15 elephant tusks in the Kapani area of the Linyanti constituency on Sunday. The two Zambian nationals, aged 29 and 32, were part of a group of seven, however,
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NAM_2023_11_Zambezi police make another elephant tusk bust_The Namibian.pdf | 115.95 KB |
The Zambezi regional police need the public's assistance to arrest the suspects behind the killing of a hippopotamus, valued at N$100 000. Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, police regional spokesperson inspector Kisco Sitali said they are investigating a case of hunting of a specially protected animal in the Sikunga conservancy, after a dead hippo was found floating in the Zambezi River near Mubala Lodge around 10H00 on Friday.
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NAM_2023_05_Zambezi police searching for suspected hippo poachers at Kalimbeza_The Namibian.pdf | 157.06 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has launched an investigation into the poaching of two hippos in the Muyako area of the Zambezi region. This comes after the carcass of a hippo was on Sunday found by community members, who then alerted ministry officials Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda on Monday said it is suspected that the hippo died as a result of a bullet wound, and that it was shot on Saturday night. He said this was the second hippo killed in the same way in the area this year, with the first incident reported in February.
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NAM_2023_03_Two hippos poached at Muyako_Zambezi_The Namibian.pdf | 299.15 KB |
Namibian authorities say poachers killed 87 rhinos last year, almost double the number killed in 2021 in a country that is home to the world's largest free roaming black rhino population. Conservationists say poachers seeking rhino horns for Asian markets are targeting Namibia's commercial farms. Simson Uri-Khob, chief executive officer of the Save the Rhino Trust, told VOA there have been almost no incidents of rhino poaching in Namibia's rhino conservancies for the past 30 months.
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NAM_2023_01_Namibian authorities concerned about increase in rhino poaching_VOA News.pdf | 226.38 KB |
A Police operation code name 'Clarion' last week arrested 127 illegal immigrants from neighbouring Zambia who were suspected of engaging in the illegal harvesting of protected wood species in the Zambezi region.
Namibia Police (Nampol), Zambezi regional Commander, Andreas Shilelo told Confidente the immigrants were charged under the Illegal Immigrant Act and given forty-eight hours to leave the country and were subsequently deported. "Most of them we arrested, where not found harvesting timber but we took
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NAM_2022_11_Illegal Timber harvesting plagues Zambezi region_Confidante.pdf | 224.39 KB |
A carcass of a white bull rhino was discovered on the October 20 at a private farm in the Windhoek district. It is believed the rhino was poached between the October 16 and 20. According to a police report, investigations were carried out at the scene of the crime to which, "bullet fragments from the animal indicate the animal was killed for its horn," the police report reads. In a similar report a case of hunting of specially protected game has been opened at the Seeis police station in the Windhoek district.
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NAM_2022_10_Two Rhinos found dead and dehorned_Confidente.pdf | 284.46 KB |
While Africa is seeing a drop in the rate of rhinoceros poaching, Namibian wildlife authorities say they are seeing a surge in rhino killings in the southern African nation. Conservationists say poachers seeking rhino horns for Asian markets are targeting Namibia’s commercial farms. Save the Rhino Trust CEO Simson Uri Khob said there are reports that syndicates of rhino poachers from South Africa are operating in Namibia. He said poaching cases are rising, especially in Etosha National Park and commercial farms. "It's a problem," Khob said.
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NAM_2022_10_Cross border syndicates implicated in surge in rhino üoaching_Confidante.pdf | 481.11 KB |
A police sting operation has led to the arrest of two Gauteng men who allegedly tried to sell a lion's head in the North West. The men were arrested after a police agent intercepted their plan. They were allegedly looking for a traditional healer to buy the animal's head for R350 000.
Poachers have turned to snare trapping to capture animals in the Kruger National Park, including some endangered species, and use poisoned carcases to lure them. Many of the trapped animals die and their carcasses rot. Rangers and other officials have been combing through the 19 485 km² Kruger National Park, which houses the country's Big Five, in search of injured and trapped animals. Poachers have targeted almost all sections of the park. Wild dogs, lions and small antelopes are some of the animals that have been trapped.
Environment, forestry and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta has revealed that Namibia's elephant population has grown to an estimated 23 736 since independence.
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NAM_2021_10_Elephant conservation efforts yield results Shifeta_The Namibian.pdf | 616.78 KB |
Kasane - Rhino poaching in Botswana is getting worse, and the government is not helping matters in any way due to its split attitude on the crisis. On the one hand, the government of President Mokgweetsi Masisi - in power since 2018 - acknowledges the seriousness of the crisis but, when it suits it, the administration ambivalently denies any calamity and neglects taking decisive action.
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BOT_2021_05_Southern Africa_ Botswana Rhino Poaching Worsens As Government Dithers_allAfrica_com.pdf | 252.64 KB |
The Namibian man intercepted alongside a party of suspected Zambian rhino poachers that he was attempting to guide into Botswana is a repeat offender wanted in Botswana for skipping the country when he was due for prosecution for rhino poaching and illegal possession of firearms, the Botswana Gazette can reveal.
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NAM_2021_03_Namibian rhino poaching suspect is a fugitive from justice in Botswana_The Gazette.pdf | 536.3 KB |
Barks Sobozi (44) was arrested at Silonga after months of joint investigations by the Wildlife Protection Services (WPS) division of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and the Namibian Defence Force. Sobozi is allegedly part of a transnational syndicate suspected of rhino poaching in the Botswana Delta.
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NAM_2021_03_Suspected poaching syndicate member denied bail_The Namibian.pdf | 1.01 MB |
A 59-year-old Namibian man was arrested on Friday for the alleged illegal possession of five lechwe carcasses in the Chikuzwe area of the Zambezi region. Zambezi's regional head of the police's protected resources unit, Morgan Saisai, told The Namibian today that after gathering intelligence, they set up a roadblock at Chikuzwe, which led to suspect's arrest.
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NAM_2021_03_Man arrested for alleged illegal possession of lechwe carcasses_The Namibian.pdf | 651.39 KB |
Zimbabwean police officer Sergeant Tawanda Kwaramba drove from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls on September 16 2019, on a mission to undermine the law he had sworn to uphold. In Victoria Falls he loaded seven Chinese nationals into a stolen car and drove more than 900km to Sango on the border with Mozambique. From Sango border post, the Chinese nationals - Zeng Dengui, Peicon Jang, Liu Cheng, Yu Xian, Yong Zhiu, Cheng Zhiang and Qui Jinchang - were driven across south-central Mozambique to Maputo and the safety of a Chinese fishing boat that was due to sail them home.
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Oxpeckers_2020-01_The perfect rhino crime_Oxpeckers.pdf | 676.23 KB |
A twenty-year-old Zambian man was arrested on Sunday in the Zambezi region after he was found in possession of one elephant tusk and 81 pangolin scales.
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NAM_2020-08_Zambian nabbed for ivory_pangolin scales_The Namibian.pdf | 716.9 KB |
A 31-Year-old Zambian man was arrested yesterday arrested at Mukuyu village after he was found in possession of one elephant tusk and a rhino horn.
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NAM_2019-08_Man nabbed for possession of elephant tusk_rhino horn - The Namibian.pdf | 593.11 KB |
Two men were arrested at Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region on Wednesday after they were found in possession of four elephant tusks.
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NAM_2019-07_Two suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi region again_The Namibian.pdf | 276.64 KB |
Two suspected poachers were arrested on Monday night after they were found in possession of a crocodile skin in Kongola area of the Zambezi region.
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NAM_2019-07_Suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi region_The Namibian.pdf | 354.33 KB |
A man was denied bail on a charge of possession of six elephant tusks yesterday in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court.
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NAM_2019-05_Man denied bail for possession of six elephant tusks_The Namibian.pdf | 478.2 KB |
Six suspected poachers were arrested in Zambezi region after they were found in possession of four elephant tusks, two elephant tails and one zebra skin yesterday.
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NAM_2019-03_Six in for possession of tusks_zebra skin_The Namibian.pdf | 284.23 KB |
Two suspected poachers were arrested on Friday in the Zambezi region for being in possession of zebra meat without a permit.
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NAM_2019-01_Two suspected zebra poachers arrested_The Namibian.pdf | 505.17 KB |
Oscar Nkala talks to a jailed Zambian elephant poacher about the structure, financing and operations of cross-border smuggling gangs.
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Oxpeckers_Confessions of an ivory poacher.pdf | 244.99 KB |
Police in the Zambezi region are calling on community members who have a missing relative to come and identify the body of a suspected poacher who was killed during a chase over the weekend in the Bwabwata National Park. Zambezi regional police commissioner Karel Theron yesterday said the man was killed during a shoot-out between the police, members of the anti-poaching unit, and suspected poachers on Saturday.
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NAM_2018-04_Suspected poacher killed by police_The Namibian.pdf | 385.79 KB |
Five suspects who were arrested last week for being in possession of four elephant tusks were denied bail in the Katima Mulilo Magisitrate's Court on Monday.
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NAM_2018-01_Five suspected poachers denied bail_The Namibian.pdf | 350.32 KB |
The police in the Zambezi region have arrested four Namibians and one Zambian suspect after they were allegedly found in possession of four elephant tusks on Friday.
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NAM_2018-01_Five suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi_The Namibian.pdf | 353.32 KB |
Who are the people driving Namibiaʼs plans to open commercial abattoirs for donkey meat and skins for Asia? Oscar Nkala tracks them down.
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Oxpeckers_Faces behind Namibias donkey abattoirs.pdf | 266.66 KB |