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A field ranger who allegedly hid two suspected poachers in his bakkie, appeared at the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court where he was released on R15 000 bail. Bright Mashele, 36, the field ranger and his two accomplice, Collen Mathebula, 32, and Casper Mlambo, 30, were arrested on Saturday when they tried to enter the Kruger National Park through Numbi Gate. According to provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, police received information about some individuals who were orchestrating to enter the park to commit crime.

Pretoria - A 48-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, after she was found in possession of 29 rhino horns with an estimated street value of R6 million.

Pretoria - The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said transparency and regular communication about the status of rhino and rhino poaching is vital to track the impact of efforts made to conserve rhinos and reduce the impacts of the illegal wildlife trade. WWF was responding to the release of the rhino poaching numbers for 2021 by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on Tuesday. The DFFE said as many as 451 rhino were poached in South Africa last year - 327 within government reserves and 124 on private property.

A Kenyan man accused in a multimillion-dollar operation to deal rhinoceros horns and ivory from elephant tusks - harming more than 100 endangered animals - arrived in the city Monday morning after being extradited to face charges of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafcking and other counts.

Der verbotene Handel mit geschützten Tieren und Pflanzen bleibt laut einem UN-Bericht ein Milliardengeschäft. Neben Elefant, Nashorn und Tiger geht es derzeit vor allem dem Schuppentier an den Kragen. Das stand zwischenzeitlich auch als Coronavirus-Wirt im Verdacht. 

The prohibited trade in protected animals and plants remains a billion dollar business, according to a UN report. In addition to the elephant, rhinoceros and tiger, the pangolin is currently on the collar. In the meantime, this was also suspected as a corona virus host.

The poaching of rhinos and elephants in Namibia is not a crisis because only about 1,2% are poached per year, said environment minister Pohamba Shifeta.

Police inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga yesterday said he will take stiff measures on officers who were on duty at Hosea Kutako International Airport when the Chinese national smuggled 18 rhino horns out of Namibia.

Deputy minister of environment Tommy Nambahu has repeated his stance that the release of suspected rhino poachers is hampering the ministry's efforts to fight the scourge.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism projects to have spent over a billion dollars in anti-poaching operations by the end of this year since the operation started two years ago.

Four more rhino carcasses were found at Grootberg Lodge in Kunene region in late December last year.

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta says he is not aware of any ministers or former members of parliament involved in poaching. Meanwhile, police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga says he cannot deny that ministers or members of parliament were involved in poaching, but he wanted to know who they are so he can lay his hands on them. The minister and the police chief were reacting to reports in the Namibian Sun that NamRights executive director Phil ya Nangoloh had allegedly submitted a report to Ndeitunga in which political leaders are accused of involvement in…

The Tourism minister has accused some traditional leaders and businesspeople of being used as middlemen by poaching syndicates.

In a move to control rhino poaching, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism started constructing a proper boundary fence to protect animals in the Etosha National Park. The fencing is expected to cost an estimated N$700 000 per kilometre. Etosha measures 824 kilometres, and the ministry would need about N$576 million to fence it all. The ministry, however, does not have enough funds for the project and has requested an additional N$167 million during this financial year. It was allocated about N$643 million in the 2015/2016 national budget.

Poachers should be ashamed of themselves for killing innocent animals, said deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu. Just a week ago, Nambahu explained that the ministry was aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. "Shame on them for doing what they are doing to innocent animals. I have never heard of a rhino destroying a mahangu field or killing anyone. Why must it be killed because someone wants its parts?" he asked.

This highly lucrative illicit business is managed by organised criminal groups through a variety of payment mechanisms. These mechanisms, including cash transactions and bulk cash smuggling, trade-based money-laundering, international bank transfers through legal businesses and nominee bank account holders, are key to advancing the objectives of criminal organisations.