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Namibian Wildlife Crimes article archive

This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to articles
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia

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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Displaying results 1 - 20 of 20
Monday, 22 July 2024
Singh K 2024. King Misuzulu issues warning to communities against damaging Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserves' fencing.

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini issued a warning to criminals within communities to stop damaging Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserves’ fencing including cutting fences and stealing poles. The King was speaking during a meeting with an Ezemvelo delegation at his palace in Pongola on Thursday. During his presentation to the King, Ezemvelo chief executive officer Sihle Mkhize, informed the King that Ezemvelo faces challenges beyond rhino poaching, including criminals within neighbouring communities stealing fence materials and poles.

Friday, 24 November 2023
McCain N 2023. Locking horns with crooks: Wildlife crime on the rise in Southern Africa, driven by poaching in SA.

The consequences for local ecosystems and communities are serious, [including the] deterioration of natural capital, social stability and cohesion; extinction of animal species; and erosion of sustainable economic development. South Africa is home to the world's largest rhino population and is a key source for the illicit supply chain. In the first six months of this year, 231 rhinos were killed in South African game reserves. Of these, 143 were in KwaZulu-Natal.

Monday, 25 September 2023
McCain N 2023. Pangolins, rescued from poachers, are being given a second chance in SA game reserves.

After weeks of being kept in cramped spaces, deprived of food and water, many pangolins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade don't survive. But those who survive are given a second chance at some of South Africa's private game reserves, including &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. Since 2019, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve has successfully reintroduced several pangolins onto its property, with a number of them having bred and produced a second generation of these endangered animals.

Wednesday, 2 August 2023
Engel K 2023. Parliament hears how 'sophisticated syndicate' stole 51 rhino horns from a state facility.

The head of the North West Parks and Tourism Board has told Parliament that the thieves who stole 51 rhino horns from its guarded facility in June must have had intimate knowledge of its security system.

Monday, 17 July 2023
McCain N 2023. To stop rhino poaching, deal with rangers in the pay of syndicates, says wildlife group.

Rangers at South African game reserves have been implicated in supplying information to rhino poachers. This is one of the forms of corruption that the Wildlife Justice Commission says is fueling wildlife crime. However, SANParks says it is implementing measures to reduce corruption, including a polygraph testing system.

Monday, 3 July 2023
McCain N 2023. Hawks make arrest after theft of 50 rhino horns from North West stockpile.

The Hawks have arrested a man in connection with the theft of 51 rhino horns. The horns were stolen from a stockpile in the North West. The man is expected to appear in court on Monday to face a charge of business robbery.

Saturday, 1 July 2023
McCain N 2023. How do you get 50 stolen rhino horns out of SA? Coffee or corruption, say experts, or maybe as mugs.

Fifty rhino horns stolen from a stockpile in the North West will likely leave South Africa as beads, mugs, or souvenirs, experts have said. The stockpile was stolen in the early hours of Monday morning from the North West Parks and Tourism Board in Mahikeng. Reports suggest the robbers evaded security measures, alarms, security cameras and bypassed the locking mechanism of the vault. Experts have speculated that the rhino horns may already be on their way to Asian markets, based on insights into how wildlife crime syndicates operate.

Friday, 17 February 2023
McCain N 2023. Fifteen-year sentence for man convicted of poaching-related offences in Kruger National Park.

The Skukuza Regional Court has handed a 15-year sentence to a man found guilty of poaching-related offences. He was found to have illegally entered the Kruger National Park on two occasions. The second time he entered the park illegally he was out on bail for the first charge.

Monday, 26 September 2022
McCain N, Lekoma N 2022. Rhino poaching hits private game reserves in the pocket.

Private game reserves are buckling under the costs of keeping rhinos safe from poachers. This as the trend shows poachers have set their sights on private reserves. More than 250 rhinos were poached in the first half of the year.

Saturday, 27 August 2022
McCain N, Lekoma N 2022. Rhino conservation groups call for cross-border enforcement as poaching numbers rise after Covid-19.

Rhino conservation groups say a collaborative, cross-border approach is needed to stop poaching. South Africa lost 259 rhinos to poaching in the first half of the year. Private game reserves are increasingly targeted by poachers, forcing them to increase security measures.

Sunday, 5 June 2022
Engel K 2022. Rhino Tears Wine helping to fight the war on rhino poaching.

Cape Town - SANParks Honorary Rangers is hard at work to stop rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park and all SANParks areas with assistance and collaboration from Rhino Tears, a wine brand, that donates towards the rangers with every bottle sold.

Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Singh K 2022. KZN man gets 28-year prison sentence for poaching rhino in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.

Durban - A 45-year-old man convicted of rhino poaching was sentenced to 28 years in prison by the Empangeni Regional Court.

Saturday, 23 April 2022
McCain N 2022. Four bust at North West mall trying to sell pangolin for R250 000.

Four people have been arrested for trying to sell a pangolin for R250 000. They were arrested at a North West mall while attempting to find a buyer. The pangolin was found in their car and taken to safety.

Friday, 22 April 2022
McCain N 2022. 4 men arrested in connection with separate Kruger National Park poaching incidents.

Four suspected poachers have been arrested. Two were found in the Kruger National Park on Monday and the other two were arrested on Tuesday. This week, two other men were sentenced to 19 years in prison after they were arrested for poaching.

Friday, 25 February 2022
McCain N 2022. Poachers handed effective 19-year sentence for killing two rhinos.

Two rhino poachers have been sentenced to an effective 19 years' imprisonment for a 2019 poaching incident in the Kruger National Park. The Regional Court in Skukuza in Mpumalanga sentenced Micheal Chauke, 57, and Americo Mathonsi, 59, on Thursday. The men were found to have killed two rhinos on 22 May 2019, said police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli.

Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Atkinson E 2022. Pangolin kidnapped and held to ransom in Congo amid fears of 'new trend' in wildlife crime.

An endangered pangolin has been taken hostage by a group of rebels in the the Democratic Republic of Congo who sent a ransom request to conservationists for the animal’s release. It sparks fears that the kidnap could lead to a trend in using wildlife as bargaining power, the activists negotiating with the kidnappers are attempting to rescue the pangolin without payment. "This is something new and alarming," Adams Cassinga, founder of Conserv Congo, said after "proof of life" photographs of the prized animal were sent to community conservationists.

Monday, 8 November 2021
McCain N 2021. Poachers handed heavy sentences after being found with rhino horns.

Two rhino poachers have been sentenced to an effective 16 years' imprisonment each. The men were arrested in February when rangers from the Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge sections of the Kruger National Park reacted after three armed suspects were seen entering the park by crossing the border between South Africa and Mozambique, said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.

Friday, 22 October 2021
McCain N 2021. Five arrested for allegedly poaching Western Cape succulents.

Five men have been arrested in the Western Cape in connection with the illegal possession of more than 5 600 succulents. The arrests were the result of an integrated operation between the police,  Malmesbury Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit and Cape Nature, said police spokesperson Sergeant Luqmaan Adams on Thursday. "The suspects were arrested after they were stopped and searched on the N7 close to Vanrhynsdorp.

Thursday, 21 October 2021
McCain N 2021. Three poachers get an effective 35 years behind bars for killing 3 female rhinos.

Three men accused of rhino poaching have each been sentenced to an effective 35 years in jail. They were found in possession of rhino horn valued at R1.5 million. The accused were found to have killed three female rhinos in 2018.

Friday, 4 December 2020
Singh K 2020. KZN wildlife under siege from illegal hunters.

KwaZulu-Natal wildlife is "under attack" by illegal hunters across the province says Blessed Gwala, the IFP spokesperson for community safety and liaison. Last week the carcasses of four dehorned rhinos were found in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

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