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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 21 of 21
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.

Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Ndeyanale E 2024. 654 suspects arrested for poaching.

The Namibian authorities arrested 654 people linked to 389 wildlife-crime cases registered in the country last year. This is according to a 2023 national report on wildlife protection and law enforcement in Namibia completed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. The report shows that 96 wildlife-crime court cases were finalised. Twelve cases involving pangolins, eight cases for elephants, four cases involving trees and an additional four cases involving rhinos were finalised in court.

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Bause T 2024. Beweerde stropery in Namib-Naukluft.

Die 49-jarige Leon Schiffer het Maandag in die landdroshof op Maltahöhe verskyn. Hy word van stropery in die Namib-Naukluft Nasionale Park (in die Sesriem-distrik) aangekla. Luidens verlede naweek se polisieverslag is Schiffer op 5 Januarie omstreeks 10:00 saam met nog 'n verdagte (32) in hegtenis geneem - volgens inligting van die landdroskantoor in Maltahöhe was dit 'n sekere "Gariseb". Die twee het glo nege gemsbokke gestroop.

Friday, 5 January 2024
Bause T 2024. Venasha, die renoster blom.

Dit gaan baie goed met Venasha, die renosterkalfie wat in Oktober 2022 by die Rhino Momma-projek aangekom het, nadat sy deur haar ma verwerp is. Volgens Juliette Erdtsieck, haar versorger van die afgelope 19 maande, bly Venasha onder meer saam met drie renosterkoeie en hul kalwers in 'n kamp. "Sy word nou regtig baie groot en is 'n regte renoster! Sy het op 26 November haar laaste bottel melk gekry en aan die einde van die jaar is sy na die groot kamp verskuif," sê Juliette. Die Rhino Momma-projek in Namibië het in 2022 in een maand twee wees-renosterkalfies gekry.

Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Bause T 2023. Tanzanier van handel in plante aangekla.

’n Tanzaniese burger wat glo 'n meesterbrein in die handel van plante is en haar drie Namibiese medebeskuldigdes verskyn Donderdag in die Opuwo-landdroshof vir die onwettige oes van Olifantvoet. Die 29-jarige Diana Mushiku van Tanzanië, Veisiruaije Tjavara (25), Jenniter Simataa (37) en Tjivinda Unatavi (31) is tussen 21 Oktober en 10 November in Okondjombu in die Puros-omgewing in die Kunenestreek in hegtenis geneem met 46 Adenia pechuelii-plante, beter bekend as Olifantvoet, wat hulle na bewering sonder 'n permit geoes het.

Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Bause T 2023. Hired car used in poaching, stock theft.

The two suspects were caught in the early hours of Friday morning with five goats in their possession which had been poached. The men also poached two kudus, two waterbucks and a gemsbok worth N$35 000 in the Khomas Region.

Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Reiter C, Bause T 2023. Umweltministerium ist besorgt.

Das Ministerium für Umwelt, Forstwirtschaft und Tourismus ist laut einer Pressemitteilung
besorgt über die zunehmende Verwendung von Drahtschlingen zur illegalen Jagd und Tötung
von Wildtieren im Park. Der Pressesprecher des Ministeriums, Romeo Muyunda, erklärte: "Wir
möchten betonen, dass die Beseitigung von Schlingen zu unseren täglichen Aufgaben im
Rahmen der Parkverwaltung gehört. Es wird vermutet, dass einige Gemeindemitglieder, die sich
im Nationalpark aufhalten, Schlingen aufstellen, um Wildtiere zu jagen und zu töten." In Etoscha

Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Bause T 2023. Al meer strikke in Etosha gestel.

"Ons kan nie die mense verwyder nie; hulle is deel van die park. Ons moet net kyk hoe ons kan verseker dat hulle die reëls nakom.

Friday, 21 July 2023
Smit E, Bause T 2023. Trae hofprosesse knou stryd teen wildstropery.

Statistiek toon altesaam 404 verdagtes is verlede jaar in verband met wildstropery vir vleis in hegtenis geneem, terwyl 89 verdagtes skuldig bevind is.

Statistics show a total of 404 suspects were arrested last year in connection with poaching for meat, while 89 suspects were found guilty.

Tuesday, 9 May 2023
Smit E, Bause T 2023. Vyftien renosters vanjaar gestroop.

Altesaam 15 renosters is vanjaar gestroop, teenoor 87 in 2022 en 45 in 2021. Die laaste renoster is tussen 1 en 28 April op 'n private plaas in die Grootfontein-omgewing gestroop. Die karkas is eers verlede week ontdek en die ondersoek dui daarop dat die dier twee keer met 'n jaggeweer geskiet is.

Tuesday, 11 April 2023
Ndeyanale E 2023. Two rhinos poached at Etosha.

Two carcasses of rhinos were found in the Etosha National Park last Monday and Wednesday.

Thursday, 30 March 2023
Ndeyanale E 2023. I can't guarantee you will leave Etosha alive.

Oshana police commissioner Naftal Sakaria says armed poachers found in the Etosha National Park should surrender to the police or they will be shot. Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo last week appointed Sakaria as the commander of the anti-poaching unit in Etosha National Park for a period of six months. While in this position, he will also remain the Oshana regional commander. Sakaria is tasked with commanding the police and military forces deployed in the flagship park to protect animals, especially iconic animals such elephants and rhinos, from being poached.

Saturday, 17 September 2022
Ezeamalu B 2022. Nigerian court convicts Vietnamese for trafficking in Pangolin scales.

A federal court in Lagos on Friday sentenced a Vietnamese, Nguyen Huy, to three months in prison for trafficking in 200 kiogrammes of Pangolin scales.

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.

Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Bause T 2022. Draadstrikke aan die toeneem.

Volgens dr. Ulf Tubbesing het sy span in die laaste twee jaar vyf vlakvarke van draadstrikke bevry.

According to dr. Ulf Tubbesing, his team has freed five warthogs from wire traps in the last two years.

Thursday, 23 September 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Three arrested for wildlife crime.

Three men have been arrested in connection with wildlife crime, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said in a weekly wildlife crime report on Wednesday. According to the report, Alberto Johannes Joel was arrested on 12 September this year at Otavi in the Otjozondjupa region. He was reportedly found in possession of a live pangolin. Another suspect, Ignasius Mbaraka Mutunda, was arrested in connection with a June 2020 case when he was allegedly found in possession of a rhino carcass. He was arrested on Friday at Outjo in the Kunene region.

Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Man detained for wildlife crimes dies.

Paulus Pendapala (48), who has been arrested in connection with the possession of a rhino horn with a pastor and a police officer, has died. His death on Saturday came two weeks after he was denied bail in the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court on the basis that he was facing charges of dealing in wildlife products. According to acting Oshikoto regional commander commissioner Petrus Shigwedha, Paulus complained that he was not feeling well at about 11h00 on Saturday.

Monday, 3 May 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Another pastor in court over wildlife crime.

A pastor and a member of the Namibian Police, who were allegedly found in possession of a rhino horn, were last week granted bail in the amount of N$5 000 each when they appeared in the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court. Alfons Tjikuru of the Enlightened Christian Gathering at Otjiwarongo, which is led by the controversial 'prophet' Shepherd Bushiri, and officer Michael Muronga, as well as Herman Paulus were arrested on 13 March this year after they were allegedly found in possession of rhino horn.

Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Suspects caught poaching giraffe.

A 69-year-old man and two Angolans were arrested on Tuesday for poaching a giraffe in a conservancy in Omusati region.

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.

Wednesday, 6 May 2020
Bause T 2020. Vyf gemsbokke die naweek gestroop.

Sestien vermeende stropers in hegtenis geneem. Die Namibiese polisie het ná ’n jaagtog van ongeveer 70 km op ’n grondpad drie mans in hegtenis geneem en op vier gemsbokkarkasse, ’n bakkie, twee jaggewere, messe en ’n byl beslag gelê.

Namibia police have arrested three men on a gravel road for about 70km and seized four deer carcasses, a pickup truck, two hunting rifles, knives and an ax.

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