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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 - 3 of 3
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.

Monday, 13 July 2020
Peters C 2020. Elfenbein, Schuppen, Tropenholz - Schmuggel geschützter Arten boomt.

Der verbotene Handel mit geschützten Tieren und Pflanzen bleibt laut einem UN-Bericht ein Milliardengeschäft. Neben Elefant, Nashorn und Tiger geht es derzeit vor allem dem Schuppentier an den Kragen. Das stand zwischenzeitlich auch als Coronavirus-Wirt im Verdacht. 

The prohibited trade in protected animals and plants remains a billion dollar business, according to a UN report. In addition to the elephant, rhinoceros and tiger, the pangolin is currently on the collar. In the meantime, this was also suspected as a corona virus host.

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