This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
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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The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is investigating some of its workers at Etosha National Park for possibly playing a part in the rhino poaching syndicate which recently left 11 of the mammals dead. Addressing the media yesterday environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said they suspect the "act" was an inside job. All the rhinos killed were also dehorned. He said the ministry is broadening investigations to determine whether its workers were complicit in the matter.
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NAM_2022_06_Government probes workers for poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 509.23 KB |
Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta says the recent discoveries of 11 dead rhinos are an indication that the country needs to up its game in curbing wildlife crime. This comes after the rhino carcasses were discovered at Etosha National Park, since the beginning of June to date, with their horns removed.
The Environment and Tourism Ministry says it has discovered 11 rhino carcasses at the Etosha National Park since the beginning of this month. According to the ministry's spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, investigations indicate the carcasses are at least three weeks old. "This is regrettable and a strong indication that the fight against poaching is not over," he said. To date, 22 rhinos have been poached this year.
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NAM_2022_06_Eleven rhino carcasses found at Etosha_The Namibian.pdf | 553.15 KB |
African rhinos endure a huge problem of poaching. The rhinos are sought by poachers, traffickers, international criminal groups and even tourists. On 15 July 2018, an internet search for "rhino poaching" showed over 48700 media references on the subject. People from Asia are the prime wildlife consumers. In China and Viet Nam mainly, the demand for rhino horn has gone beyond any level-headed imagination, fuelled by endless inspirations of local traditions and attitudes, a situation exacerbated by wrong and misinformed perceptions of wildlife products.
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Save the rhino by the horns.pdf | 121.75 KB |
Two Victoria Falls men, one of them a neighbourhood watch committee (NWC) member, have been fined $6 000 each for trapping animals with wire snares.
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ZIM_2021_10_Suspended sentences for wire snare poachers_The Chronicle.pdf | 1.92 MB |
Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country.
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ZIM_2020-10_Pangolin peddling villagers arrested_The Chronicle.pdf | 314.08 KB |
Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country. Ephrain Mugande (35) and Simple Mugande (32) both of Manjolo Village under Chief Sikalenge illegally hunted the pangolin in Chizarira National Park on the boundary of Binga and Gokwe before crossing the Zambezi River with it to Sinazongwe town in Zambia with the intention to sell it.
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ZIM_2020-09_Two Binga villagers arrested for trying to sell pangolin_The Chronicle.pdf | 616.79 KB |
Two villagers from Binga have been arrested in Zambia after they were found in possession of a live pangolin they allegedly intended to sell in the neighbouring country.
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ZIM_2020-08_2 Binga folks arrested for possessing live pangolin_The Chronicle.pdf | 377.37 KB |
A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks.
A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks. Similo Vundla of Mambanje village under Chief Nekatambe was arrested by an anti-poaching team in March.
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ZIM_2020-07_Illegal elephant tusks_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 398.68 KB |
Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in rhino and elephant poaching cases in the past three years because of improved response mechanisms, the government said yesterday. Minister of environment Pohamba Shifeta said the country has seen a reduction in rhino poaching numbers from 78 cases in 2018, 49 in 2019 and 17 so far this year.
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NAM_2020-07_Rhino_elephant poaching cases down_The Namibian.pdf | 267.91 KB |
Football Club player Craven Banda has been arrested after he was allegedly found with eight raw elephant tusks.
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ZIM_2020-05_Footie star arrested over elephant tusks_Chronicle.pdf | 379.15 KB |
In its efforts to boost the much-needed security at the conservancy, N≠a Jaqna conservancy management committee member Lara Diez said they have added 12 new guards to help curb poaching that of late has seen a rapid increase at the park. "Poaching has become an ever-increasing problem and the new game guards will increase vigilance and monitoring in the conservancy. The delicate balance between wildlife management, licensed hunting and the community is disturbed greatly by poaching,” Diez said in a statement yesterday.
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NAM_2020-03_Conservancy reinforces security to curb poaching_New Era.pdf | 338.73 KB |
Four elephants were found dead, three of them without tusks in Woodlands Farm resettlement area on Monday.
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ZIM_2020-03_Four elephants poisoned_tusks removed_The Chronicle.pdf | 504.07 KB |
A Hwange man and his son have been arrested for poaching after they were allegedly caught trapping animals and birds at the edge of Hwange National Park. Smart Shoko (48) and Ferdinand Shoko (26) both of Number F98 Madumabisa were found in possession of four impala carcasses, a baboon carcass and 79 fowl birds when they were ambushed by an anti-poaching unit in Bumbusi area outside Hwange town on Tuesday.
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ZIM_2021_07_Father and son arrested for poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 229.79 KB |