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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They might be an awesome sight to see from a safe distance on safari as they lumber around with their big, lopping ears and long trunks, but for those who live side by side with elephants, these mammals can quickly become a menace. Elephants’ numbers in African countries have dwindled hugely in the past. Conservation efforts since the 1980s, however, have seen populations recover somewhat. In Southern African countries, where about half of the African elephant population resides, their higher numbers mean they are starting to come into conflict with humans.
A special court established in Uganda, called the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court, was "critical to the country's economic development", then Chief Justice Bart Katureebe noted at its launch in 2017. "Access to justice in this area has the capacity to promote investment in critical areas of the economy, protection of the environment, public health and ethical trade practices," he said. Between July 2020 and June 2021, the court handled 468 wildlife crime cases.
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UGA_2022_07_Ugandas special court clamps down on wildlife crime_Oxpeckers.pdf | 1021.64 KB |
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentences handed to two Mozambique nationals found guilty for poaching related offences by the Malamulele Regional Court. Enock Sibanda(31) and Eckson Shirinda (28) were arrested by Kruger National Park rangers on 14 November 2018 and were each sentenced to eight year’s imprisonment, said Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the Regional Spokesperson of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Limpopo.
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SA_2021-05_Kruger Park elephant poachers jailed by Limpopo court_Review.pdf | 2.2 MB |
The police on Friday arrested three suspects for possession of elephant tusks worth over R100 000. The suspects were arrested at a local mall during an undercover operation which was conducted by the police together with the Endangered Species Unit in Limpopo, K9 unit, Crime Intelligence, LEDET and KNP ECI .
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SA_2021-01_ Undercover cops arrest trio for possession of elephant tusks_Review.pdf | 511.14 KB |
Windhoek says intensified intelligence operations by authorities and tougher sentences for poachers led to the drop. Rhino poaching fell 63 percent year-on-year in Namibia, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has said citing intensified intelligence operations by authorities and tougher sentences and fines for poachers. Elephant poaching, which occurs to a lesser extent, also decreased with two incidents reported this year compared with 13 in 2019, the ministry said.
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NAM_2020-08_ Rhino poaching falls by more than 60 percent_News_Al Jazeera.pdf | 191.34 KB |
Oscar Nkala talks to a jailed Zambian elephant poacher about the structure, financing and operations of cross-border smuggling gangs.
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Oxpeckers_Confessions of an ivory poacher.pdf | 244.99 KB |
Depending on your views about legal trade in wildlife products, the past week was either a good week or a very good week for Namibian conservation, writes John Grobler.
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Oxpeckers_Namibia diaries the good_the bad_the ugly.pdf | 2.66 MB |
Oxpeckers Associate Shi Yi set out to investigate Chinese links in Namibia’s poaching crisis, and ended up in the middle of a sting operation that nabbed a former policeman.
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Oxpeckers_Namibias secret ivory business.pdf | 265.83 KB |
Namibia has enjoyed a good reputation for its nature conservation, but there is evidence the illegal trade in wildlife products is thriving. The smuggling hotspot is the Zambezi border region, where five Southern Africa countries intersect. Hongxiang Huang travelled to Zambezi to investigate.
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Oxpeckers_Spotlight on Zambezis poaching problem.pdf | 252.1 KB |