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Officers of Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) have seized eleven elephant tusks in a house in the western city of Tete, according to a report in Sunday's on-line issue of the independent daily "O Pais".

Rumphi Police in north Malawi have arrested six for illegal possession of a live pangolin.

The chairman of the Pangolin Conservation Guild of Nigeria (PCGN), Prof Olajumoke Morenikeji, has lamented that developed countries have turned Nigeria into a hotspot for wildlife trafficking, describing it as a shame. She noted that wildlife trafficking "is a multi-billion naira illicit act" that has been depleting indigenous animal species in the Nigerian environment.

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment has confirmed that 24 rhinos carcasses have been found in South Africa since the beginning of December.

The US on Monday announced visa restrictions on eight DR Congo nationals involved in wildlife trafficking, in the latest whip on supposed illegal revenues fuelling conflict in the central African nation. The eight people, believed to be connected business and political players in the country, are accused of having a hand in trafficking of ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horn; products of endangered species.

The Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday re-sentenced "Queen of Ivory," Chinese Yang Feng Clan and two Tanzanians to 15 years imprisonment each for leading organized crime on 860 pieces of elephant tusks, which are government trophies, valued at over 13bn/-.

Cape Town - Game rangers, vets, casino staff, construction and transport industry workers, as well as customs and other government officials, have been identified as role-players in the ecosystem of illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products according to a report by the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force.

Three poachers were sentenced to a cumulative 85 years imprisonment on charges relating to a rhino poaching incident at the Pilanesberg Game Reservice in the North West. On 2 July 2018, the trio were trying to leave the game reserve in the North West in a white Ford bakkie loaded with stolen rhino horns valued at R1.5 million. Their bail application was denied and they remained in police custody until the completion of the trial.

Arusha - Tourism players have pumped a multimillion shillings into an extensive anti-poaching programme designed to protect the priceless wildlife heritage into the country's wild animals-richest Serengeti National Park.

Maputo - The Inhambane Provincial Court in southern Mozambique has sentenced a 51 year old Chinese citizen, Liu Rong Wu, to 14 years imprisonment, for his involvement in an environmental crime consisting of an attempt to smuggle about nine kilos of dried seahorses out of the country, reports the independent television station STV. Liu had packed the seahorses, which are legally protected, and intended to ferry them to China where they would be used in the fraudulent racket known as "traditional Chinese medicine".

South African scientists are studying ways to inject radioactive material into rhino horns to make them easier to detect at border posts, a move to discourage poaching, a researcher said on Friday. Poachers killed at least 249 rhinos in South Africa during the first six months of the year - 83 more than in the first half of 2020. The animals are slaughtered for their horns, which are smuggled into Asia where they are highly prized for traditional and medicinal purposes.

The South African Police Service on Saturday welcomed the sentences handed down to three poachers for charges relating to the killing of rhinos in the Kruger National Park.

Police in the Overberg region of the Western Cape confiscated abalone with an estimated street value of R2.4 million on Thursday night.

A group of self-proclaimed reformed poachers in the districts of Rukungiri, Mitooma and Kanungu have cried out to government demanding income-generating projects. Members constituting the group are from areas neighbouring Queen Elizabeth National Game Park in Bwambara Sub- County, Rukungiri District, Kiyanga Sub-County, Mitooma District and Kanungu District. They say "life is becoming harder unlike when they used to poach."

The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) recently announced the seizure of huge wildlife products including elephant tusks and other endangered species. And in Lagos, among some wealthy people, no party is complete without a display and barbecue of some protected animals, as seen in some trending videos on social media. It should worry the authorities that our country is fast becoming a huge jungle.

The Court of Appeal has upheld the 30-year imprisonment sentence imposed on poacher, Ng'waja Serengeta, for unlawful possession of three pieces of elephant tusks valued at 15,000 US dollars (about 34.8m/-), which are government trophies.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced on Saturday that, for the third consecutive year, no elephants have been poached in the Niassa National Reserve in the far north of the country, or in the Gorongosa National Park in the central province of Sofala.

"Meanwhile, on July 25, 2021 at Chatseka area, Mutawatawa, Murewa, police also arrested Joseph Kabunze (67), Perfect Kabunze (29), Chatseka Mapuranga (39) and Makwanya Kahwiti (29) for unlawful possession of ivory." The arrest led to the recovery of 4 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 12,5kg valued at US$2 635.

Customs officers of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized 32 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 160kg, at a cargo transit shed at the OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday, 17 July.

A court in Garsen, Tana River County has sentenced three men to 15 years in prison each for poaching. In the ruling made on Thursday, the court also imposed a fine of Sh3 million for each of the men on three accounts. Sharif Ngala (39), Kingi Charo (25) and Baraka Thoya (20) pleaded guilty to poaching 140 dik-diks, three teramuks and porcupine meat before senior principal magistrate Paul Rotich.

Eight suspected abalone poachers were arrested close to Robben Island on Wednesday morning by Border Police stationed at Cape Town harbour According to a statement by the police, on Tuesday evening, law enforcement started with random vessel patrols in the bay and around Robben Island during a dark moon and calm sea conditions. The 920 shucked abalone seized had an estimated street value of R345 000.

Police are urging residents in coastal cities or towns to assist in protecting endangered marine life. This comes after positive information from a member of the public led to the arrest of two men for illegal possession of abalone valued R28 000-00 in St Francis Bay today. On Wednesday, 07 July 2021 at about 06:40, it is alleged that a resident alerted a private security company about suspicious people, who were busy loading bags into a navy Toyota Avanza at Shark Point in St Francis Bay. A private security company dispatched a patrol vehicle.

A Voi court has sentenced three people found guilty of poaching 187 dikdiks in Tsavo East National Park to 16 years in prison each. In the ruling made on Monday, the court also imposed a fine of Sh2.2 million. Kaviha Charo, Katana Unda and Bugo Suluhu will serve their jail terms at Manyani Maximum Security Prison in Voi, Taita Taveta County.

Three suspected poachers arrested with 187 dik-diks in Tsavo East were on Monday charged at the Voi Law Court.

The killing of two elephants in Kalacha this week has once again shone the spotlight on rampant poaching in Marsabit County, which is threatening to wipe out wildlife in the region. Authorities recovered two rifles and four rounds of ammunition in a security operation following the incident. County Police Commander Martin Kibet said a bullet obtained from one of the carcasses would be subjected to ballistic testing. The two elephants were killed when they strayed from Marsabit Forest via Hurri Hills into Kalacha. A third elephant was rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)…

New evidence supplied by the US government links two Kenyans implicated in Sh570 million ivory smuggling to notorious Liberian poacher and ivory trafficker Moazu Kromar. Documents filed in a Mombasa court claim Kenyan businessman Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh alias Said Juma Said and his son Sheikh Mahmoud Abdulrahman received instructions from Mr Kromar to facilitate ivory smuggling. The Liberian poacher was extradited to the US in 2019, where he is facing ivory-trafficking charges. Mr Mahmoud, his son and six other Kenyans are facing ivory smuggling charges in Mombasa.

Olivia the pangolin's alleged poachers will have to remain behind bars until June after their case was postponed.The pangolin pulled through the weekend and was in a stable condition after being rescued from three alleged poachers at a Shell garage on the N1 road in Midrand last Friday.

While it was initially thought that the Rhino may have been shot, the post mortem team established that the rhino died of natural causes (fighting).

Three alleged pangolin poachers were bust red-handed and arrested when they tried to sell an animal to a "potential client" at a Shell garage on the N1 in Midrand on Friday. Olivia was the seventh pangolin rescued this year from poachers.

A gruesome discovery by a group of tourists on a night-drive in Kruger National Park earlier this month has raised questions about how a rhino died. The tourists spotted a man emerging from bushes holding a horn dripping with blood, chopped from a critically-endangered Black rhino carcass, just 15m away. He and another man, dressed in what appeared to be a uniform, have subsequently been confirmed by SANParks to be employed by the park.

Kasane - Rhino poaching in Botswana is getting worse, and the government is not helping matters in any way due to its split attitude on the crisis. On the one hand, the government of President Mokgweetsi Masisi - in power since 2018 - acknowledges the seriousness of the crisis but, when it suits it, the administration ambivalently denies any calamity and neglects taking decisive action.

The 18-pieces haul, destined for Malaysia, was found concealed in traditional clothing. The Hawks have conscated a shipment of rhino horns worth more than R53 million at OR Tambo International Airpot on Thursday, destined for Malaysia. This after the customs unit of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) at the airport bust the rhino horn after the detector dog unit selected a suspicious shipment declared as "HP Cartridges Developers", according to the statement from Sars.

A 36-year-old man appeared at the Kempton Park Regional Court on Monday, 18 January, after being arrested for illegal dealing in rhino horns. Kelvin Chigwede - who was arrested on Saturday - was charged for illegal dealing in rhino horns and contravention of the National Environmental Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) according to Hawks’ spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.

Kenya's black rhino population has doubled from less than 400 in 1985 to 794 by the end of 2019. Kenya is home to the last remaining two Northern White Rhinos in the world. "But, the Northern White Rhinos are endangered. There are only two existing in the world that are only found at the Ol Pejeta conservancy. We are making sure the white rhinos are saved and we produce more. We must protect these animals," said Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala during a webinar commemorating World Rhino Day last month.

Three SA National Parks (SANParks) employees, among them two security guards, have been arrested in possession of fresh rhino horns outside the gates of the Kruger National Park. SANParks said the third person arrested is in technical services.

Considering the amount of effort and funds that go into arresting a suspected poacher, and seeing court proceedings through, cases such as this take a signicant toll on the people involved in seeking justice.

The arrests were carried out by the Malmesbury Stock Theft Unit, Vredendal Crime Intelligence and members of the Cape Nature Reserve.

Police say a tip-off led to the arrest of the suspect who was allegedly trying to sell the pangolin in the Musina CBD.

A total of 33,386 poachers have been arrested in the past five years, thanks to the intensified anti-poaching campaign initiated by the National Anti-Poaching Task Force (NTAP). Mr Nduhiye noted that in the past five years the task force managed to intercept various trophies including 14,741 pieces of ivory tusks, 25 rhinoceros horns, 10 live pangolins and 962 tortoises.