Search results

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has expressed concern over crimes related to pangolin poaching. This was announced in a media statement by ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, released yesterday. "The ministry is happy to observe that more suspects have been arrested for crimes related to pangolin tracking between 1 September and 30 November. “We are concerned that this may indicate an increase in crimes related to pangolins," he said.

Pretoria - The number of rhino in the Kruger National Park has increased. This after the use of technology and sniffer dogs to deter poaching. In the past financial year, the park reported about 180 cases of rhino poaching, a decrease of 45% compared with previous years. Security camera were installed and 12 more installations are expected.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has announced the arrest of a member of staff, alongside three other people, who allegedly hunted a blue wildebeest at Daan Viljoen.

Etosha National Park has become a poaching hotspot, as rhino poaching remains a serious concern in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has said in an update on poaching. According to a statement released by the ministry's spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda yesterday, 87 rhinos were poached last year, 61 of them black rhinos and 26 white rhinos.

Buyers are being offered more than 200 species of animals threatened with extinction or declining population on social media platforms by illegal wildlife traders. The animals are then transported by air out of Africa and in some instance, by boat.

Kruger National Park section rangers have expressed concern at the courts taking too long to convict alleged rhino poachers arrested in the facility, despite evidence. Speaking to the Pretoria News, Karen Keet, the head ranger at the Phalaborwa gate, and Andrew Desmet, who heads the Letaba section within the Kruger National Park, said they often arrested poachers. However, they never get convicted because of laxity within the judiciary system. The two claimed the system seldom took the matter seriously.

According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 322 elephants were killed by poachers between 2016 and 2019, largely for their tusks. These are then shipped out to Asia, via South Africa, but the real number may be much higher, according to wildlife groups. Much of the poaching occurs in northern Zimbabwe in game reserves straddling the border with Zambia, according to ZimParks, a statutory body responsible for managing the country’s wildlife population.