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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Chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council Damian Maghambayi says hunger is no excuse for killing endangered birds. He was speaking to The Namibian following a report in yesterday’s edition on residents of the Kavango regions reportedly trapping carmine bee-eater birds to eat.
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NAM_2024_10_Hunger not a justification for killing endangered carmine bee_eaters_The Namibian.pdf | 221.02 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has expressed concern over crimes related to pangolin poaching. This was announced in a media statement by ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, released yesterday. "The ministry is happy to observe that more suspects have been arrested for crimes related to pangolin tracking between 1 September and 30 November. “We are concerned that this may indicate an increase in crimes related to pangolins," he said.
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NAM_2023_12_Environment ministry concerned over pangolin poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 118.53 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has announced the arrest of a member of staff, alongside three other people, who allegedly hunted a blue wildebeest at Daan Viljoen.
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NAM_2023_02_Environment ministry staff member arrested for alleged poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 241.76 KB |
Etosha National Park has become a poaching hotspot, as rhino poaching remains a serious concern in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has said in an update on poaching. According to a statement released by the ministry's spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda yesterday, 87 rhinos were poached last year, 61 of them black rhinos and 26 white rhinos.
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NAM_2023_01_87 rhinos poached last year_The Namibian.pdf | 311.47 KB |
The Kruger National Park (KNP) expects a decline in rhino poaching incidents due to heavy sentences imposed on five poachers in November. The acting managing executive of the KNP, Dr Danny Govender, commended the Skukuza Regional Court for imposing lengthy jail terms in recent cases and said it shows they are making good progress in fighting rhino poaching.
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SA_2022_12_KNP expects decline in rhino poaching_LowVelder.pdf | 401.71 KB |
The reopening of the Skukuza Regional Court is producing positive results, with a 100% conviction rate for rhino poachers over the past two years. The court had been closed by the Mpumalanga Regional Court president Naomi Engelbrecht in August 2019, who wanted it to be moved to Mhala Court about 100 kilometres from Skukuza. However, this decision was overruled and the court was reopened again in April 2021.
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SA_2022_04_Poachers face full might of the law in Skukuza court_Lowvelder.pdf | 526.82 KB |
At the peak of the rhino poaching war in South Africa in 2015 and 2016, poachers slaughtered nearly three rhinos a day. Although that rate has declined, the numbers are still disheartening and unsustainable, with poachers killing at least one rhino every day. Some conservationists have looked to drones as a potentially powerful tool in anti-poaching efforts, with the technology continuing to evolve. But experts say it isn’t at the level yet where it can meet the challenge, and that while it can be helpful, conservation efforts must continue to engage and educate local…
Parliament has recommended amendments to the Wildlife Act to provide protection for whistleblowers and ensure stiff penalties for those found in possession of cyanide, a dangerous chemical often used by poachers to poison elephants.
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ZIM_2020-04_Zimbabwe Wildlife Act_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 876.27 KB |