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.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
Namibian authorities are investigating a surge in rhino poaching that has seen 28 rhinos poached already this year, two-thirds of them in the Southern African country's flagship Etosha National Park. It was particularly concerning that 19 rhinos were poached in Etosha this year, given the park is a focus for conservation efforts and a major international tourist attraction, the environment ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_04_Namibia investigates surge in rhino poaching in Etosha park_Reuters.pdf | 113.1 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2024_02_Rhino poaching in South Africa increases in 2023_Reuters.pdf | 829.65 KB |
The recent sentencing of three wildlife poachers has been hailed as a success in the anti-poaching efforts of the Greytown community. Farmers, SAPS and security companies working together to curb poaching in the Greytown area have welcomed the sentences handed down to three men aged between 27 and 42 years old, who were found guilty of illegal hunting by the Greytown Magistrate's Court. The three men were each sentenced to eight months' imprisonment or a R2 000 fine.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2023_10_Sentencing of three wildlife poachers hailed as a success_The Witness.pdf | 406.05 KB |
Rhino populations in Kruger National Park continue to decline despite innovative strategies implemented to prevent rhino poaching. The latest population count, reported in the SANParks Annual Report 2022/2023, reveals that the total rhino population has declined by 16.2%, from an estimated 2,458 rhinos in 2021 to 2,060 in 2022.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2023_10_Kruger rhino population update_the losses continue_Africa Geographic.pdf | 1.07 MB |
Vietnamese authorities have over the past week seized more than 600 kilograms of ivory smuggled from Africa, the government said on Monday. Trade in ivory is illegal in Vietnam but wildlife trafficking remains widespread. Other items often found smuggled into the country include pangolin scales, rhino horns and tiger carcasses. Customs authorities in the northern port city of Haiphong on Monday found nearly 130 kilograms of ivory hidden in a container of cow horns originated from Africa, the government said in a statement.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
AFR_2023_02_Vietnam seizes 600 kg of ivory smuggled from Africa_Reuters.pdf | 345.73 KB |
The number of endangered rhinos poached in Namibia reached an all-time high last year after 87 animals were killed compared to 45 in 2021, official government data showed on Monday. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said poachers killed 61 black and 26 white rhinos mainly in Namibia's largest park, Etosha, where 46 rhinos were found dead.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2023_01_Namibia rhino poaching surged 93 percent in 2022_Reuters.pdf | 322.79 KB |
The Kruger National Park rhino population has again decreased from 2 809 at the end of 2020 to 2 458 rhinos at present.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_09_DA concerned over decline in rhino numbers at Kruger National Park_The Witness.pdf | 435.81 KB |
South Africa has experienced an increase in rhino poaching following a lull during the Covid-19 lockdown. Earlier this month, the country's Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment reported that 259 rhinos had been poached during the first half of 2022. This is a four percent increase in the number of animals killed during the same period last year. Rhino poaching incidents appear to be moving away from South Africa's national parks and into private wildlife conservancies where roughly 40 percent of the country's rhinos are found.
Rhino poachers are heartless and kill every rhino they see - young or old, with of without a horn - just to get rid of them from the reserve and to "try and make their job easier", should they come back. This is according to Ezemvelo Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo. This week, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Barbara Creecy said that KwaZulu-Natal recorded a loss of 133 rhinos in the first half of the year - which is more than triple the 33 rhino killed in the first six months of 2021.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_08_KZNs rhino population is being decimated by highly organised poachers_Witness.pdf | 528.01 KB |
Almost 260 rhino were poached for their hornsin South Africa in the firstsix months of this year.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_08_Our Viewpoint _ Rhino poaching_Witness.pdf | 433.55 KB |
A zebra and its foal have been found dead, caught in the grip of a snare in the Bisley Nature Reserve.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_07_Snare kills mother zebra and foal at Bisley Nature Reserve_TheWitness.pdf | 474.99 KB |
Three people were arrested for alleged poaching inside the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park in the northern KwaZulu-Natal. This was confirmed by the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife on Sunday, which said the trio were arrested before they could kill a rhino. The first man was arrested on June 6 and two others were caught two days later. These arrest bring the number of alleged poachers caught inside the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park this year to five. "The Park has been under siege since the beginning of 2022.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_06_Three alleged poachers arrested in Hluhluwe_KZN_The Witness.pdf | 504.9 KB |
Magma Security and Investigations said while their officers were patrolling in the Karkloof area, a suspicious vehicle was observed on a client’s property just after 2am, on Sunday morning. It said that upon stopping the vehicle, the officers found six occupants with six dogs. "They had poached and killed two warthogs and six porcupines. Knives were found in their possession. Suspects were handed over to Howick SAPS," said Magma Magma Security and Investigations.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_05_Six alleged poachers arrested in a Howick Farm in KZN_The WitnessSA.pdf | 387.43 KB |
Despite back-breaking work from a dedicated and passionate SANParks team, Kruger National Park rhino populations have continued to plummet - as per the latest population count from 2020. Recently published research estimates that there are about 2,607 white rhinos remaining in the Kruger National Park, while black rhinos are estimated to number just 202. This represents a population decline of 75% for white rhinos since 2011 (from 10,621) and 51% for black rhino since 2013 (from 415).
The South African National Parks (SANParks) warned people on Saturday about a video circulating on social media depicting a "severely injured White Rhino cow", saying it was "distressing to watch". In a statement, SANParks said that its rhino dehorning team made the gruesome discovery of a badly mutilated female rhino in the South of the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Thursday. "According to the SANParks Veterinarian and the Section Ranger who attended to the rhino, it appeared as if the animal had been shot a few days prior to being found.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_12_SANParks warns of video of distressed rhino cow_shot and hacked by poachers_The Witness.pdf | 637.31 KB |
Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo have seized $3.5 million worth of ivory, rhinoceros horn and pangolin scales in a joint operation with United States officials, the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa said on Monday. Two wildlife traffickers were also arrested in the United States on Nov. 4, following a more than two-year investigation between the two countries and global police agency Interpol.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
CON_2021_11_Congo seizes us3_5 mln of ivory_rhino horn and pangolin scales_Reuters.pdf | 1.89 MB |
Rhino and elephant poaching continues to decline in Africa, most likely due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and enhanced protection efforts. This is particularly the case in Namibia, as well as Zimbabwe and Tanzania, bringing hope to a species plagued by intensive poaching over the past few decades.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
AFR_2021-08_Rhino_Elephant Poaching Continues to Decline in Africa_Earth_org.pdf | 523.27 KB |
The strict limits on travel, including international travel, imposed in March last year had the happy side effect of keeping poachers at bay. In 2020, 394 rhinos were poached, 30% fewer than the year before and the lowest yearly tally since 2011. But then South Africa began easing international travel restrictions in November. "Since November, December last year and into 2021, this landscape and particularly Kruger National Park has been experiencing serious numbers of rhino poaching incidents," said Jo Shaw, the Africa Rhino Lead for WWF International Network.
South African National Parks (SANParks) has welcomed sentences imposed for rhino poaching related crimes in two separate cases that have been finalised in Mpumalanga.The trials were concluded in the Mhala regional court in February and March. In one matter three people who were arrested in August 2018 were convicted of rhino poaching related charges including possession of two sets of rhino horns, a high calibre hunting rifle, ammunition and trespassing in a national park with the intention of committing crime as well as the illegal hunting of an endangered animal.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_03_SANParks welcomes sentences for rhino poaching related crimes_The Witness.pdf | 435.56 KB |
Botswana's recent upsurge in rhino poaching is reaching a crisis point. More than 100 rhinos have been poached in under two years from a population of less than 400. Yet, the government remains resolute in its denial of a growing catastrophe. Former Botswanan president Ian Khama recently announced on social media that over 120 rhinos have been poached in the past 18 months.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
BOT_2021_03_Rhino poaching in Botswana_is pride hampering prevention_Africa Geographic.pdf | 950.9 KB |
Rhino poaching fell 63% year-on-year in Namibia, the ministry of environment said on Friday, citing intensified intelligence operations by authorities and tougher sentences and fines for poachers.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-08_Rhino poaching in Namibia down 63 percent on tougher policing penalties_Reuters.pdf | 358.49 KB |
166 rhinos have been poached during the first half of 2020, compared to 316 at the same time last year. Of the rhinos killed this year, nearly three-quarters happened before the lockdown. In fact, in the month of April, no rhinos were killed in the Intensive Protection Zone in Kruger for the first time in almost ten years.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
Africa Geographic_2020-08_Rhino poaching stats 2020_more shades of grey_Africa Geographic.pdf | 843.69 KB |
Most people understand that the poaching of rhinos is cruel and could, quite possibly, drive rhinos to extinction. But why the inordinate fuss about rhinos? Are they special enough from an ecological point of view, that ecosystems need them to be around? Of course, no species should go extinct due to man, and rhinos are iconic symbols and tourism draw-cards.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
Africa Geographic_2020-05_Why are rhinos important for ecosystems_Africa Geographic.pdf | 3.42 MB |