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Zambezi regional police arrested two Zambian nationals for possession of 15 elephant tusks in the Kapani area of the Linyanti constituency on Sunday. The two Zambian nationals, aged 29 and 32, were part of a group of seven, however,

Despite farmers' concerns that stock theft and poaching in the Erongo region's north-west district has reached crisis levels, Erongo police commander commissioner Nikolaus Kupembona says the challenges are manageable as long as strategies are put in place. He says ongoing stock theft and poaching involve "isolated incidents". "It starts with the farmers' own security measures.

Cattle rustlers and poachers are terrorising farmers in the Erongo and Otjozondjupa regions, including in the Omaruru, Kalkfeld, Otjiwarongo and Waterberg areas. Namibian Agricultural Union executive council member Günther Kahl, who is also a farmer, told The Namibian last week that livestock theft and poaching have spiralled out of control, leaving the farming community distraught and enraged. Statistics reveal losses running into millions of dollars and large numbers of livestock and game since 2013. "We face the slaughtering of cattle every day.

Erongo law enforcement officers on Monday evening arrested a 49-year-old Namibian man at a mini- shop at Okombahe for possessing illegal python skins and an unlicensed revolver. The arrest was a result of an intelligence-led operation, according to Erongo police spokesperson inspector Ileni Shapumba. "The person was found with two python skins, which he kept in a plastic bag in his shop," said Shapumba. The skins are valued at N$60 000. Python is a protected species under the Nature Conservation Act.

The Zambezi regional police need the public's assistance to arrest the suspects behind the killing of a hippopotamus, valued at N$100 000. Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, police regional spokesperson inspector Kisco Sitali said they are investigating a case of hunting of a specially protected animal in the Sikunga conservancy, after a dead hippo was found floating in the Zambezi River near Mubala Lodge around 10H00 on Friday.

A 43-year-old suspect is due to appear in the Omaruru Magistrate’s Court next week, after he
was arrested on Thursday for illegally hunting kudus.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has launched an investigation into the poaching of two hippos in the Muyako area of the Zambezi region. This comes after the carcass of a hippo was on Sunday found by community members, who then alerted ministry officials Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda on Monday said it is suspected that the hippo died as a result of a bullet wound, and that it was shot on Saturday night. He said this was the second hippo killed in the same way in the area this year, with the first incident reported in February.

Drei Männer, die des illegalen Besitzes und Handels mit zwei Elefantenstoßzähnen im Wert von etwa 104 000 N$ im Jahr 2019 in Walvis Bay angeklagt waren, wurden am vergangenen Mittwoch von der Swakopmunder Bezirksrichterin Gaynor Poulton in allen Punkten freigesprochen.

Three men charged with illegally possessing and trafficking two elephant tusks worth around N$104,000 in Walvis Bay in 2019 were acquitted on all counts by Swakopmund District Judge Gaynor Poulton last Wednesday.

Three men accused of smuggling with elephant tusks in Walvis Bay in 2019, were acquitted of all charges in the Swakopmund's regional court.

Environment, forestry and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta has revealed that Namibia's elephant population has grown to an estimated 23 736 since independence.

The defence team representing three men accused of the illegal possession of, and dealing in two large elephant tusks worth about N$104 000, argued that there is no law in Namibia stating that a person is required to get a dealers permit when a permit to possess that product exists. Dirk Vermeulen (50), Edgar Clarke (41) and Michael Lusse (60) were arrested at Walvis Bay in 2019 during a sting operation involving the Namibian Police's Protected Resources Unit after they intended to sell the two tusks.

Barks Sobozi (44) was arrested at Silonga after months of joint investigations by the Wildlife Protection Services (WPS) division of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and the Namibian Defence Force. Sobozi is allegedly part of a transnational syndicate suspected of rhino poaching in the Botswana Delta.

A 59-year-old Namibian man was arrested on Friday for the alleged illegal possession of five lechwe carcasses in the Chikuzwe area of the Zambezi region. Zambezi's regional head of the police's protected resources unit, Morgan Saisai, told The Namibian today that after gathering intelligence, they set up a roadblock at Chikuzwe, which led to suspect's arrest.

A 50-year-old woman appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for possessing two elephant tusks. Karina Cloete was arrested at the harbour town on Monday after police got a tip that she had the tusks. She was charged under the provisions of the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act. She was granted bail of N$10 000 and her case was postponed to 10 February this year to allow for further police investigations.

Five men, of which three escaped, were caught by the police and anti-poaching units at Karibib in connection with poaching on Friday.

Poaching has risen to alarming levels in the Karibib district during the past three months, with dozens of large game animals having been butchered, injured and some having to be put down. "Covid-19 must have contributed to the sharp increase in poaching. People lost their jobs and are hungry, so there is a demand for meat. The festive season is also around the corner, so this also contributes to an increase," Butzi Kühne of Kühne Security and Anti-Poaching Unit told The Namibian.

A twenty-year-old Zambian man was arrested on Sunday in the Zambezi region after he was found in possession of one elephant tusk and 81 pangolin scales.

Three suspected poachers who were arrested last week by Erongo police officers made their first appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's court last Wednesday. Penrich Gonteb (29), Elvis Anamab (37) and Gerson Mbahuma (49) appeared on charges relating to the contravention of the Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975 as amended, which includes the prohibition of hunting in game parks and nature reserves; as well as transportation of game without a permit. They were not granted bail and will be held in custody until their next appearance on 29 July.

The police are hunting for suspected poachers who abandoned two bakkies and seven oryx carcasses in the desert before fleeing the scene over the past weekend.

Three men accused of dealing in or possessing two elephant tusks at Walvis Bay last year denied guilt on the charges they are facing during an appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Two men appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on a charge of dealing in elephants tusks on Monday.

A 31-Year-old Zambian man was arrested yesterday arrested at Mukuyu village after he was found in possession of one elephant tusk and a rhino horn.

Two men were arrested at Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region on Wednesday after they were found in possession of four elephant tusks.

Two suspected poachers were arrested on Monday night after they were found in possession of a crocodile skin in Kongola area of the Zambezi region.

An illegal immigrant from Angola was part of a gang of three men arrested last week for poaching in the Otjimbingwe district in the Erongo region. An incident report by Erongo crime investigations coordinator Erastus Iikuyu indicated that Benicio Tavalu (40), an Angolan who only had an Angolan voter's card in his possession, was arrested with Namibians Simson Katambo (42) and Titus Kamati (26) last Thursday.

A man was denied bail on a charge of possession of six elephant tusks yesterday in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court.

Six suspected poachers were arrested in Zambezi region after they were found in possession of four elephant tusks, two elephant tails and one zebra skin yesterday.

A protected black rhino in the Erongo Mountain Rhino Sanctuary nearly lost a foot after it was caught in a snare set by poachers recently.

Two suspected poachers were arrested on Friday in the Zambezi region for being in possession of zebra meat without a permit.

A 33-year-old man made his first appearance in the Karibib Magistrate's Court yesterday after he was found in possession of oryx meat believed to have been poached.

Police in the Zambezi region are calling on community members who have a missing relative to come and identify the body of a suspected poacher who was killed during a chase over the weekend in the Bwabwata National Park. Zambezi regional police commissioner Karel Theron yesterday said the man was killed during a shoot-out between the police, members of the anti-poaching unit, and suspected poachers on Saturday.

Karibib District Watch members arrested four suspects on Wednesday night for poaching an oryx in the Wilhelmstal area. An incident report from the Karibib District Watch stated that at around 21h00, gunshots were heard on a farm in the area, suggesting the presence of poachers. Three teams of the watch group's members were immediately dispatched, with the Karibib, Omaruru and Okahandja police called to assist, together with the Omaruru District Watch.

Five suspects who were arrested last week for being in possession of four elephant tusks were denied bail in the Katima Mulilo Magisitrate's Court on Monday.

The police in the Zambezi region have arrested four Namibians and one Zambian suspect after they were allegedly found in possession of four elephant tusks on Friday.

Erongo police are hunting for suspected poachers who killed a pregnant rhino cow on a game lodge near Omaruru over the weekend. The owner of the farm declined to comment, and requested this newspaper not to mention the name of the lodge for fear that it may attract more illegal activity for the rest of the game on the farm.

A defence force member and two other men from Okahandja appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges of possessing two rhino horns. The soldier, Petrus Mutako Damaseb (49), who is based at Okahandja, and Steven Omeb (29), appeared in court yesterday and were denied bail, while the third man was released due to lack of evidence linking him to the alleged crime.

Three Zambians and a Namibian, the latter suspected to be a former policeman, were arrested last Friday after poaching a black rhino at the Erindi private game reserve near Omaruru.

The environment minister, Pohamba Shifeta, described the latest rhino and elephant poaching figures as "a pity", saying his ministry will do all it can to keep these figures from rising further. According to figures released by the minister yesterday, three more rhino carcasses, possibly poached for their horns, were recently discovered in the Etosha National Park, pushing the figure of known rhino mortalities up to 37 this year, which brings the total rhino deaths since last year to 162.

What was described as excellent cooperation between the Omaruru District Watch and the police resulted in two white rhinos being saved from poaching and four suspected poachers arrested.

Aron Uiseb must have been a happy man when Omaruru magistrate Abel Sankwasa fined him N$250 which was wholly suspended for three years, after he pleaded guilty to poaching a leopard at Ai Aiba lodge near Omauru a year ago. The Namibian understands a leopard trophy is worth between N$50 000 and N$90 000.
Not only did Uiseb escape paying N$250 if he is not convicted of the same offence in the next three years, the N$15 000 he deposited as bail will be returned to him.

It is not just the stock theft figures for 2013 that are staggering, but the poaching of wildlife is just as worrisome and one beleaguered farmer from Omaruru can vouch for that.

The Protective Resources Unit (PRU) of the Erongo Police are investigating two incidents of alleged elephant poaching near Khorixas after two carcasses were discovered in the area – one of which the tusks have been removed.