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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 24 of 24
Monday, 27 November 2023
Kooper L 2023. Zambezi police make another elephant tusk bust.

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,

Tuesday, 9 May 2023
Kooper L 2023. Zambezi police searching for suspected hippo poachers at Kalimbeza.

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.

 

Monday, 13 March 2023
Kooper L 2023. Two hippos poached at Muyako, Zambezi.

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.

Friday, 2 December 2022
van Zyl C 2022. Four women in custody for possession of lion cubs they were selling.

Police said four women are in custody for the possession of lion cubs they were selling in Boksburg North.

Thursday, 10 March 2022
Tsiko S 2022. Step up fight against wildlife crime.

There is an urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts in the country, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu says.

Friday, 11 February 2022
van Zyl C 2022. Man convicted for illegal possession of pangolin in Northern Cape.

A 25-year-old man was convicted and sentenced by Kuruman Regional Court after trying to sell a pangolin for R200 000.

Friday, 22 October 2021
Kooper L 2021. Elephant conservation efforts yield results, Shifeta.

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

Saturday, 16 October 2021
van Zyl C 2021. Poacher sentenced to 19 years in prison after a white rhinoceros was killed.

The 38-year-old poacher was sentenced to 19 years behind bars after a white rhinoceros was killed in Lower Sabie in 2014.

Sunday, 1 August 2021
van Zyl C 2021. 249 rhino poached in SA since the start of 2021 and it is increasing.

At least 249 rhinos were killed in the first six months of this year in South Africa. The bulk of the killings happened at the Kruger National Park, where 132 rhinos were killed.

Wednesday, 3 March 2021
Kooper L 2021. Suspected poaching syndicate member denied bail.

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.

Monday, 1 March 2021
Kooper L 2021. Man arrested for alleged illegal possession of lechwe carcasses.

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.

Wednesday, 3 February 2021
Tsiko S 2021. Just in: Call to establish environmental court.

Zimbabwe needs to establish an independent and specialised environmental court to effectively deal with the environmental litigation cases and offer better quality of sentencing to safeguard and restore the country's environment, WWF - Zimbabwe country director, Dr Enos Shumba says.

Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Kooper L 2020. Zambian nabbed for ivory, pangolin scales.

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.

Saturday, 11 July 2020
Murphy F, Maclean W Illegal ivory trade shrinks while Pangolin trafficking booms, U.N. Says.

The illegal global trade in ivory has shrunk while the trafficking of pangolins has soared, a U.N.

Saturday, 22 February 2020
Tsiko S 2020. 100,000 children stand against wildlife crime (Zimbabwe and Mozambique) .

About 100,000 children in and around the national parks of Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe and Limpopo in Mozambique are being educated through the Peace and Changemaker Generation project to appreciate wildlife conservation efforts and to take a stand against wildlife crime. The project also promotes girls’ rights in their communities as part of wider efforts to strengthen the two countries’ efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.

Thursday, 15 August 2019
Kooper L 2019. Man nabbed for possession of elephant tusk, rhino horn .

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.

Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Kooper L 2019. Two suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi region again.

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

Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Kooper L 2019. Suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi region.

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.

Friday, 3 May 2019
Kooper L 2019. Man denied bail for possession of six elephant tusks.

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

Monday, 25 March 2019
Kooper L 2019. Six in for possession of tusks, zebra skin.

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.

Monday, 14 January 2019
Kooper L 2014. Two suspected zebra poachers arrested.

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

Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Kooper L 2018. Suspected poacher killed by police.

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.

Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Kooper L 2018. Five suspected poachers denied bail.

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.

Monday, 8 January 2018
Kooper L 2018. Five suspected poachers arrested in Zambezi.

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.

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