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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 - 7 of 7
Tuesday, 16 January 2024
Ombati C 2024. Policeman among two arrested with elephant tusks in Nairobi.

The police constable and a civilian had been arrested in Nairobi West and Eastleigh with the cargo on Sunday. They had tried to sell the trophies to Kenya Wildlife Service ocials who had posed as potential buyers.

Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Shefeni S 2023. Bail hearing in rare-plant poaching case.

A suspected plant-tracking kingpin, Diana Mashiku (29) from Tanzania, and her three Namibian co-accused are scheduled to apply for bail on Thursday in the Opuwo Magistrate's Court. Mashiku and her Namibian assistants - Veisiruaije Tjavara (25), Jenniter Simataa (37) and Tjivinda Unatavi (31) - were arrested for allegedly being in possession of 46 Adenia pechuelii plants, known as elephant's foot, which they allegedly harvested without a permit. They were arrested between 21 October and 10 November in the Okondjombo area of the Kunene region.

Monday, 18 December 2023
Shefeni S 2023. Rare plant poaching case heading to court.

A suspected plant-tracking kingpin, Diana Mashiku (29) from Tanzania, and her three Namibian co-accused are scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on 21 December. Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says there is a growing trend of criminal syndicates using locals to illegally harvest Namibia's unique plant species. "This case is one of many where international poaching syndicates use Namibian enablers to persuade local community members to nd and harvest the plants for a small fee.

Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Ombati C 2023. Kenya: Two arrested with 77kgs of elephant tusks worth Sh12m in Samburu.

Two men were on Tuesday arrested while trafficking 36 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 77 kilogrammes valued at Sh12 million in Maralal, Samburu county.

Monday, 18 October 2021
Looby C 2021. Drones are a knife in the gunfight against poaching. But they're leveling up.

At the peak of the rhino poaching war in South Africa in 2015 and 2016, poachers slaughtered nearly three rhinos a day. Although that rate has declined, the numbers are still disheartening and unsustainable, with poachers killing at least one rhino every day. Some conservationists have looked to drones as a potentially powerful tool in anti-poaching efforts, with the technology continuing to evolve. But experts say it isn’t at the level yet where it can meet the challenge, and that while it can be helpful, conservation efforts must continue to engage and educate local…

Monday, 2 August 2021
Ombati C 2021. Kenya: Police arrest four suspects with Sh10 million elephant tusks.

Police said the four were found in possession of 19 pieces of the jumbo tusks. The tusks have a street value of Sh10 million.

Monday, 12 October 2015
Muraranganda E 2015. Ndeitunga passes the buck, again.

Police chief Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga told Namibian Sun that he “did not start the rumour,” referring to a probe into a senior City Police officer in respect of a rhino poaching incident. Ndeitunga, however, did not deny that the investigation was ongoing. It is the second time this week that he has washed his hands on issues in which his force is implicated. Earlier in the week, he denied any knowledge of the involvement of the police implicated in the case of the missing Khoi San in the former Caprivi, now Zambezi Region.

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