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Tierärzte haben einem Nashorn eine Drahtschlinge aus dem Bein operiert. Ein schon älteres und ziemlich großes Nashorn auf einer Farm im Süden Namibias mit einer alten und teilweise verheilten Wunde am linken Hinterbein fing wieder an zu humpeln. Tierärzte stellten fest, dass der Dickhäuter seit Jahren eine Drahtschlinge, wie sie Wilderer gebrauchen, in ihrem unteren Bein verwachsen mit sich herumschleppte. Die Nashornkuh war damals wohl den Wilddieben entkommen und die Wunde verheilte, indem sich Gewebe um die Drahtschlinge bildete.

Botswana's government has presented to the ongoing CITES CoP-19 in Panama a detailed document on the country's efforts to contain rhino poaching which increased at least 100 fold between 2018 and 2020. The country recorded two rhino poaching incidents in the five years between 2012 and 2017 with zero incidents reported in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

Botswana' Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) has confirmed the recent arrest of a man found in possession of a live pangolin in the capital Gaborone. The department says the incident was reported to them by the Botswana Police, raising concern about the continued poaching of pangolins.

A white rhino has reportedly been killed and dehorned by poachers inside the protected Khama Rhino Sanctuary (KRS) in Botswana. Two separate conservationists have reported about the killing. One conservationist told this publication that their sources inside the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) confirmed the incident. "Two weeks ago a white rhino was poached at Khama Rhino Sanctuary but they are denying it happened at their property but sources inside DWNP confirm it was indeed at KRS."

"Wir haben neu organisiert und Änderungen in der AWE vorgenommen", kündigte der Minister gestern auf einer Presskonferenz an. Der Leiter der AWE, Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa ist jetzt in Etoscha und bleibt dort stationiert und wird einige Änderungen vornehmen. „Unsere Leute waren zu selbstzufrieden (complacent). Wir müssen auch annehmen, dass Personal wahrscheinlich Informationen über die Nashörner an die Wilderer weitergegeben haben kann, also ein 'inside job' sagte der Minister.

Schutzgebiete sind auch Namibias wichtigste Touristenattraktionen und gelten als Schlüssel zur Erholung des Tourismussektors. Namibia hat 86 registrierte kommunale Hegegebiete und 43 Gemeinschaftswälder, die zusammen fast 22 % der Landmasse des Landes bedecken.

Protected areas are also Namibia's top tourist attractions and are considered key to the recovery of the tourism sector. Namibia has 86 registered communal conservancies and 43 community forests, which together cover nearly 22% of the country's landmass.

"The absence of tourists in conservation areas enables poachers to act more freely. In normal times, tourists act as additional 'eyes and ears' in conservation areas, and their presence deters poachers from acting, but the decline in tourism activity emboldened poachers," a UK government report on the impact of Covid-19 on poaching has said.

Poaching intensified over the past three years following the 2018 decision by the government to disarm the anti-poaching unit under the DWNP. The 100+ rhinos poached since the disarmament represents a 100+ percent increase in poaching incidents when compared to the previous three years when Botswana lost one rhino per annum in the preceding 2015, 2016, and 2017 when the unit had firearms. There were at least 12 rhinos poached in 2018, 29 rhinos in 2019, and over 50 poached by the end of 2020.

Cape Town - The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has joined the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in welcoming the sentencing of a 49-year-old man for the illegal possession and transportation of abalone valued at R2.4 million. Moegamat Amien Fakier was sentenced to a fine of R50 000 or two years' imprisonment when he appeared in the Khayelitsha Priority Court on Thursday last week.

Cape Town - CapeNature says it has noted a worrying spike in the theft of indigenous plants in the province. It said it has begun to notice that crimes relating to the theft of endangered indigenous plants in the province had begun to steadily increase, even under strict Covid-19 restrictions. CapeNature spokesperson Petro van Rhyn said while there were several reasons why the illegal trade had picked up recently, the most notable reasons pointed to the huge demand by plant collectors to own the naturally occurring plants, native to South Africa and…

The Director of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) Brigadier Peter Magosi has defended government’s decision to dehorn Botswana’s rhinos as an anti-poaching control measure. Magosi has said the dehorning of rhinos was the only way they could ensure protection of the animals from poachers.

Well-heeled businessmen are allegedly driving the trade in poached rhino horn in Namibia, using marginal communities as foot soldiers, an amaBhungane/The Namibian investigation has revealed. The role of local entrepreneurs in the horn trade has not previously been highlighted. The popular perception in Namibia is that Chinese nationals are the kingpins in charge of the trade.

Police are investigating an employee of a multinational courier company for attempting to smuggle rhino  horns through Eros airport, police spokesperson, commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi said yesterday.

The police this week arrested two Zambians and two Namibians in the Zambezi region after they were found with elephant tusks and rhino horns.

The Chinese embassy in Namibia said it will not allow a few of its nationals who have been arrested in connection with poaching to tarnish their country's image.

Faced with poachers who are ravaging elephant and rhino populations, African nations could do worse than look to Namibia for a game plan to combat the scourge.