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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The Congo rainforest is home to one of Africa's least-known and most threatened monkeys: the golden-bellied mangabey. Golden-bellied mangabeys form extraordinarily large troops of dozens of individuals, and field observations reveal a complex social structure reminiscent of that of humans. The species faces significant threats from habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade, with experts pushing for stronger legal protections, including an upgrade from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I listing.
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NAM_2024_05_Bull elephant poachers wanted_Namibian Sun.pdf | 108.95 KB |
In Namibia werden vermehrt Leoparden auf inakzeptable Weise gejagt. Jagdpraktiken, die der Tierquälerei nahekommen und nichts mehr mit naturschutzorientierter Jagd im Einklang mit der Natur zu tun haben, fassen in der Branche zunehmend Fuß - dem muss ein Ende gesetzt werden. In Namibia, leopards are increasingly being hunted in unacceptable ways. Hunting practices that come close to animal cruelty and no longer have anything to do with conservation-oriented hunting in harmony with nature are increasingly gaining a foothold in the industry - this must be put to an end.
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NAM_2024_04_Leopardenjagd eskaliert_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 358.49 KB |
NAM_2024_03_Leopard hunting escalates_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 355.25 KB |
Bulk shipments by sea accounted for most of the illegal wildlife parts seized by authorities around the world in 2022. The data, from U.S.-based nonprofit C4ADS, also show that seizures of elephant ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales haven’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the decline isn’t uniform across all countries, with China's late reopening from the pandemic this year indicating there might be an increase in trafficking in 2023, especially of ivory. C4ADS has called on law enforcement officials to focus on investigating…
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WORLD_2023_03_Wildlife trafficking gradually returns after pandemic lull_mostly by sea_Mongaby.pdf | 868.66 KB |
Operation Blue Rhino was initiated in 2018 to counter the surge in high-value wildlife crime in Namibia. The formal cooperation between government ministries is enabled through external funding support. Blue Rhino is facilitated through active collaboration amongst numerous partner organisations. Effective conservation systems that enable healthy wildlife populations form the foundation of biodiversity protection in Namibia. Anti-poaching initiatives guard against criminal impacts on vulnerable wildlife.
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NAM_2023_01_Operation Blue Rhino_Panorama Solutions.pdf | 779.16 KB |
'n Vermeende stroper is Sondag op die plaas Kaliombo in die Karibib-omgewing in die been geskiet. Volgens die Namibiese polisie se misdaadverslag het die 65-jarige plaaseienaar omstreeks 23:45 die honde hoor blaf. Veiligheidswagte van K-Sapu het hom ingelig oor vermeende stropers op sy eiendom. Die boer het ondersoek gaan instel en drie mans met vleis gewaar. Die verdagtes was met assegaaie en 'n byl gewapen. Hulle het ook drie honde by hulle gehad. Die verdagtes het na bewering probeer om die boer aan te val.
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NAM_2022_08_Vermeende stroper in been geskiet_Republikein.pdf | 471.87 KB |
NAM_2022_08_Suspected poacher shot in the leg_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 470.19 KB |
A farmer shot and wounded a suspected poacher in the leg at farm Kaliombo in the Karibib district on Sunday. It is alleged the farmer acted in self-defence, after a group of alleged poachers attempted to attack him after he discovered them on his farm. According to a crime update provided by the Namibian police, the farm owner (65) was alerted to possible intruders (65) when he heard dogs barking on Sunday at about 23:45. He was also notified about suspected poachers on his farm by security guards from K-Sapu Security and Anti-Poaching.
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NAM_2022_08_Suspected poacher wounded by farmer_Namibian Sun.pdf | 318.84 KB |
Five people including three policemen have ended up in hot soup over possession of wildlife trophies including elephant ivory. According to Bashir Hangi, the Public Relations Manager at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the suspects were arrested in two different incidences in Kampala and Kapelabyong in Teso sub region.
The scaly creature is among the most-trafficked group of wild animals on earth. The small mammal, named after the Malaysian word 'penggulung', which means 'roller', is an endangered and relatively unknown species. Pangolins everywhere are relentlessly collected in the wild and trafficked to markets in Asia, where they are served as a delicacy in restaurants, and their scales are used in medicinal products. It's this consumption at end markets that drives the trade.
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NAM_2021-02_A moment to celebrate the secretive night crawler_The Namibian.pdf | 343.49 KB |
Namibian conservation efforts have faced a number of major crises over the past half century.
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NAM_2020-11_Conservation in a crisis_The Namibian.pdf | 702.04 KB |
Namibia doesn't just do anti-poaching patrols to protect rhinos. A broad suite of initiatives is in place to combat wildlife crime. These include community participation, monitoring and surveillance, security infrastructure, multi-agency partnerships, private sector support, international collaboration and more. Yet foremost among them are superb law-enforcement mechanisms to find, arrest and prosecute perpetrators.
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NAM_2020-10_The data is clear_Dont poach rhinos you will get caught_The Namibian.pdf | 1.18 MB |
COVID-19 has had significant effects in Namibia, as it has in every other country on planet Earth. The Namibian tourism industry has been temporarily disrupted, which has halted the tourism income which usually upports conservation initiatives. One may expect this would result in an immediate surge in wildlife crime. This is not the case. In spite of the massive challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, Namibia has not experienced a spike in wildlife crime, as the number of registered cases is not higher than the same period last year.
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NAM_2020-09_Anti_poaching units active amid Covid_19_The Namibian.pdf | 586.09 KB |
For two decades after Namibia's independence, the country experienced minimal commercial poaching. Over the past 10 years this has rapidly changed. Wildlife crime has skyrocketed and Namibia has rallied to counter the surge. A high of 97 poached rhinos estimated for 2015 has been reduced to 45 in 2019.
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NAM_2020-08_Rhino poaching_not just an environmental crime_The Namibian.pdf | 450.16 KB |
The Rhino Files are periodic articles exploring the complexity of rhino conservation in Namibia. WHEN a rhino is poached, outraged environmentalists often call for the most severe measures of punishment, such as shooting the poachers on sight. Shooting poachers dead doesn't stop poaching. The poachers - usually rural Namibians with bush skills - are at the lowest rung on the criminal ladder.
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NAM_2020-08_The Rhino Files_ Punishing offenders_The Namibian.pdf | 690.5 KB |
"They just get out on bail and do it again" - this is a widespread public sentiment regarding crime in Namibia, and wildlife crime in particular. There are many misconceptions about law enforcement and the judiciary. Bail is just one of them. At the end of 2019, the number of suspects out on bail amounted to less than 20% for all crimes related to high-value wildlife (pangolin, elephant, rhinos).
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NAM_2020-07_Wildlife Crime and the Law_The Namibian.pdf | 985.42 KB |
The Rhino Files are periodic articles exploring the complexity of rhino conservation in Namibia. "We aim to detect criminal activity and arrest poachers before a rhino is killed." This might sound overly-ambitious, but Barry de Klerk knows it's possible. Operation Blue Rhino has made over 100 pre-emptive arrests in around 30 cases since its inception in mid-2018. Would-be poachers are being caught before they can kill a rhino. Pro-active law enforcement has saved dozens of animals.
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NAM_2020-7_The Rhino Files_The Three Pillars of Rhino Management_The Namibian.pdf | 419.58 KB |
It's important to know that it wasn't always like this – the government, local communities, NGOs, the private sector and international agencies have made a huge investment in rebuilding Namibian rhino populations from historic lows. The black rhino, a frugal browser of herbs and shrubs, was once distributed across most of what is today Namibia. It penetrated the Namib down to the coast along all larger ephemeral and perennial rivers. Its distribution extended from the Nama Karoo in the south to the broad-leaved woodlands and rivers of today's Zambezi region.
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NAM_2020-07_Understanding rhino conservation in Namibia_The Namibian.pdf | 548.51 KB |
The Rhino Files are periodic articles exploring the complexity of rhino conservation in Namibia.
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NAM_2020-06_The Rhino Files_ Rhino conservation during a pandemic_The Namibian.pdf | 597.64 KB |
Kelsey Prediger walks into the bush in the darkness of early evening. She is armed with only a small torch, telemetry equipment, a mobile phone and a belt pouch with small research tools. Although the grass is hip high in places, Kelsey appears unfazed by the possibility of encountering a snake, a leopard or another potentially dangerous creature.
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NAM_2020-03_Namibia Pangolins_What do we Actually Know_The Namibian.pdf | 449.47 KB |
The term 'poacher' is often used for anyone involved in wildlife crime. In reality, wildlife crime functions through a complex web of criminals, where the poachers – the people carrying out the illegal killing of an animal to initiate the trade in its parts – are at the lowest level.
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NAM_03_2020_Rhino poaching and the inside job_The Namibian.pdf | 570.97 KB |
Between 1 January and 31 December 2019, 155 suspects were arrested for being found in possession of pangolins or their parts, attempting to trade these, or aiding and abetting those charged with possession or trafficking. During the same year, law enforcement officers in Namibia confiscated 121 pangolins. About 60% of the pangolins were dead. Most of the animals seized alive could be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
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NAM_2020-02_The plight of the Namibian pangolin_The Namibian.pdf | 574.51 KB |
Environmental crime has exploded worldwide in recent years. According to a report by INTERPOL and UNEP, environmental crime has increased at 2 to 3 times the rate of the global economy and is now the fourth-largest criminal sector after drug trafficking, counterfeit crimes and human trafficking. It is a massive problem, receiving massive attention. Similar trends are true for Namibia. Over the past decade, cases have skyrocketed from negligible to crisis levels - but over the past five years crime rates have been curbed through increasingly effective law enforcement.
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Powerful deterrents agains wildlife crime.pdf | 557.61 KB |