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.
The Texan faces accusations of violating South African law after several carcasses were found that had no paperwork. A controversial figure in the rhino horn trade debate was arrested last week after more than 20 rhino carcasses were found at his game farm in Limpopo. The arrest of Derek Lewitton was made by the Hawk, after they investigated his Harmony game farm for more than 16 hours. During the searches, members of the Hawks discovered multiple rhino carcasses missing their horns.
Sixteen suspects appeared before the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on 31 May 2023 to face charges related to money laundering and corruption connected to the illicit trade of rhino horns. The accused were apprehended during the course of "Project Blood Orange", which saw an investigation conducted by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit of the Hawks in Mpumalanga.
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SA_2023_06_16 suspects appear in court after being bust for illicit rhino horns trade_The Citizen.pdf | 356.25 KB |
Hidden in the boot inside a bag, police found a pangolin estimated to be worth R150 000. In a collaborative operation involving the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation and other enforcement agencies, police arrested a 59-year-old suspected pangolin dealer in Gravelotte, near Tzaneen, on Wednesday, 17 May 2023.
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SA_2023_05_Suspected pangolin trafficker arrested in Gravelotte_The Citizen.pdf | 309.83 KB |
A court in Garsen, Tana River County has sentenced three men to 15 years in prison each for poaching. In the ruling made on Thursday, the court also imposed a fine of Sh3 million for each of the men on three accounts. Sharif Ngala (39), Kingi Charo (25) and Baraka Thoya (20) pleaded guilty to poaching 140 dik-diks, three teramuks and porcupine meat before senior principal magistrate Paul Rotich.
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KEN_2021_07_Tana River Court Hands 15_Year Sentence to Dik_Dik Poachers_allAfricacom.pdf | 103.08 KB |
An intense debate continues to rage over whether the Namibian government should maintain its existing stockpiles of collected legal and confiscated illegal ivory. Trading in valuable wildlife products is one of the most important incentives for Namibia's coexistence with wildlife, especially rhinos and elephants, to support its conservation. There are two categories of stockpiles: Those held legally and those held illegally. Legally-held stockpiles consist of raw ivory, and are mostly owned by the government under the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act 9 of 2008…
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NAM_2020_12_The Fate of Ivory Stockpiles_The Namibian.pdf | 965.2 KB |
A chance encounter over 35 years ago changed the lives of two women after realising that they share the same passion for wildlife conservation.
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NAM_2019-04_Saving Namibias last black rhinos_The Namibian.pdf | 634.86 KB |