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.
A Chinese national Wang Yang and his three local accomplices including a police officer stationed in Harare appeared in court on Wednesday charged with illegal possession of rhino horns worth US$600 000.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2023_01_Chinese national 3 accomplices in court over rhino horns_NewsDay.pdf | 346.34 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is investigating some of its workers at Etosha National Park for possibly playing a part in the rhino poaching syndicate which recently left 11 of the mammals dead. Addressing the media yesterday environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said they suspect the "act" was an inside job. All the rhinos killed were also dehorned. He said the ministry is broadening investigations to determine whether its workers were complicit in the matter.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_06_Government probes workers for poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 509.23 KB |
Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta says the recent discoveries of 11 dead rhinos are an indication that the country needs to up its game in curbing wildlife crime. This comes after the rhino carcasses were discovered at Etosha National Park, since the beginning of June to date, with their horns removed.
The Environment and Tourism Ministry says it has discovered 11 rhino carcasses at the Etosha National Park since the beginning of this month. According to the ministry's spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, investigations indicate the carcasses are at least three weeks old. "This is regrettable and a strong indication that the fight against poaching is not over," he said. To date, 22 rhinos have been poached this year.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_06_Eleven rhino carcasses found at Etosha_The Namibian.pdf | 553.15 KB |
A 59-year-old Masvingo farmer yesterday appeared in court after he was found in possession of 52 crocodile skins worth US$78 000, without a licence.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2022_04_Farmer appears in court for crocodile skin possession_The Herald.pdf | 284.42 KB |
A Harare man who, resides at the Presidential Guard Brigade, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with unlawful possession of a live pangolin.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_08_Man in court for possession of pangolin_News day.pdf | 210.44 KB |
Three people have been arrested after they were found selling pangolin scales.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2021_07_Pangolin scales land 3 in court_NewsDay Zimbabwe_2021.pdf | 220.92 KB |
Two unemployed Harare men appeared in court last week for illegal possession of ivory.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2021_07_2 nabbed for illegal possession of ivory_NewsDay.pdf | 346.58 KB |
Two Harare man have appeared in court after they were caught in possession of 22,88 kilogrammes of ivory worth $326 726 without a licence.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2021_05_Pair in court for possessing ivory_The Herald.pdf | 478.4 KB |
Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in rhino and elephant poaching cases in the past three years because of improved response mechanisms, the government said yesterday. Minister of environment Pohamba Shifeta said the country has seen a reduction in rhino poaching numbers from 78 cases in 2018, 49 in 2019 and 17 so far this year.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-07_Rhino_elephant poaching cases down_The Namibian.pdf | 267.91 KB |
In recent years, pangolins have become the most trafficked animal in Namibia. According to national wildlife crime reports, 491 pangolins (152 live and 339 carcasses or skins) were confiscated and 640 arrests made in the last seven years (2015-2021, MEFT statistics). Pangolins are poached for their scales, body parts, and meat for traditional beliefs, medicine and food worldwide. In recent years there is rising pressure on the species primarily due to their scales being used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
Trafficked pangolins get a second chance_but do they survive.pdf | 696.47 KB |