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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 6 of 6
Monday, 13 May 2024
Iyambo S 2024. Two arrested over wildlife products.

A Namibian (28) and an Angolan national (32) were arrested over the weekend for allegedly being found in possession of pangolin skin without permits, says national police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi.

Monday, 4 March 2024
Happiness L 2024. Rhino-poaching still a major concern for Namibian Government.

Windhoek, March 04-Namibia boasts a healthy population of wildlife species, and its conservation efforts are held in high regard globally. However, recent poaching statistics reveal a troubling trend, with the country losing a total of 631 rhinos over the past decade. According to Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Namibia recorded 97 rhino poachings in 2015, 66 in 2016, 55 in 2017, 84 in 2018, 61 in 2019, 48 in 2020, 53 in 2021, 92 in 2022, 67 in 2023, and 8 in 2024 to date.

Sunday, 26 November 2023
Iyambo S 2023. Suspect arrested, 24 elephant tusks confiscated in Zambezi.

One suspect has been arrested while seven suspects fled from the scene after officials discovered 24 elephant tusks in a car at Katima Mulilo on Friday.

Friday, 1 January 2021
Prinsloo D, Riley-Smith S, Newton D 2021. Trading years for wildlife - An investigation into wildlife crime from the perspectives of offenders in Namibia.

Commercial and subsistence poaching in protected areas is on the rise. The extent of loss sustained by Namibia on account of the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is not reliably quantified (Anon., 2017). Wildlife populations for some of Namibia’s most iconic species - African Elephant Loxodonta africana, and Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis - are currently under threat due to IWT, and increased poaching in recent years is damaging their otherwise healthy populations.

Monday, 27 July 2020
Paulino C 2020. Dismantled poaching net and gun snipers.

In all, 11 nationals, including firearm suppliers, poachers and game vendors, were arrested last week in Luengue-Luiana National Park, Cuando Cubango province.

Moneron S, Brock B, Newton D 2020. Insights from the incarcerated: an assessment of the illicit supply chain in wildlife in South Africa.

The illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products globally is estimated to be worth more than USD72 billion annually, ranking alongside the illegal trafficking of narcotics, arms, and humans. This illegal trade, like other transnational crimes, involves a complex network of various individuals with the ultimate goal of moving the commodities from source to consumer.

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