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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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.
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NAM_2024_04_Namibia investigates surge in rhino poaching in Etosha park_Reuters.pdf | 113.1 KB |
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SA_2024_02_Rhino poaching in South Africa increases in 2023_Reuters.pdf | 829.65 KB |
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.
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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.
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NAM_2023_01_Namibia rhino poaching surged 93 percent in 2022_Reuters.pdf | 322.79 KB |
A man arrested for allegedly being in possession of two elephant tusks at the Buffalo checkpoint in the Mukwe Constituency on Friday, made his first appearance in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Lihako Sishwama, 31, appeared before magistrate Selma Shiiga, who granted him bail of N$10,000. According to the charge sheet, Sishwama was arrested during a special police operation in the Mukwe Constituency. He faces a charge of dealing in and being in possession of controlled wildlife products. The charge sheet did not reveal the value of the two elephant tusks.
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NAM_2023_01_Man arrested with elephant tusks granted bail_NBC.pdf | 228.07 KB |
The Katima Mulilo Special Court has acquitted a man of killing a lion and trying to sell its teeth. Magistrate Barry Mufana has found that George Chaka admitted to killing a lion with a poisoned cow as bait, in fear he would be refused bail if he did not admit guilt. He found that the 47-year-old Chaka could be correct in saying that someone planted the lion's teeth in his pocket when they were arrested near a local fuel station.
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.
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CON_2021_11_Congo seizes us3_5 mln of ivory_rhino horn and pangolin scales_Reuters.pdf | 1.89 MB |
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.
Pangolin was the most trafficked high-value protected species according to the 2020 Annual Report on the Combatting of Wildlife Crime released last week. According to the report, only one pangolin of the 74 seized by the law enforcement agencies was alive while 129 of these nocturnal animals were poached in 2019. The report emphasised that law enforcement relating to pangolin poaching and trafficking represent a major challenge because the animals are largely collected opportunistically. However, transboundary intelligence collaboration has led to the…
Last week, six lions were found dead and dissected in a suspected poisoning incident in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kanungu District, southwestern Uganda. The lions were discovered with their heads and appendages chopped off, and their carcasses were surrounded by dead vultures, which raised suspicion that they had been poisoned. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said it could not rule out illegal wildlife trafficking.
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UGA_2021_03_Killers of lions wanted body parts for sale_officials_Daily Monitor.pdf | 525.21 KB |
The police at Otjiwarongo on Saturday arrested two male suspects after they were allegedly found in possession of a rhino horn without a permit at the Erindi game reserve. The weekend crime report of the Namibian Police Force said the men aged 33 and 60 were arrested during a police operation. The value of the rhino horn is still to be determined and the suspects were expected to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
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NAM_2021_03_Suspects found with rhino horn at Otjiwarongo_NBC.pdf | 296.18 KB |
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism reports that 14 cases of illegal possession of wildlife products as well as convictions were made between 25 of January to 28 February. Of the 14 cases, eight were for the possession of live pangolins, skins, scales and bones, demonstrating that this nocturnal animal is under serious threat. In Opuwo Tjihepo Tjondo was found guilty on 15 February for possession of one pangolin skin and was ned N$60 000 of which N$3 000 is suspended or six months imprisonment, suspended for three months.
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NAM_2021_03_Police register eight cases of illegal possession of pangolin products in a month_NBC.pdf | 592.69 KB |
A 27-year-old man suspected to have been a poacher, died instantly in the early hours of Monday after he was allegedly shot in the chest on a game farm near Okakarara. The spokesperson of the Namibian Police Force in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Monday said the deceased has been identied as Claudius Hameva from Okakarara.
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NAM_2020-12_Suspected poacher shot and killed on Farm Hamakari_NBC.pdf | 490.49 KB |
Namibian law enforcement arrested 121 suspected poachers in three months inside the Etosha National Park with the help of the newly-established anti-poaching K9 unit, the police have said on Wednesday.
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NAM_2020-11_K9 unit highlights major success in anti-poaching drive_NBC.pdf | 713.56 KB |
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NAM_2020-08_Rhino poaching accused at Grootfontein remanded in custody_NBC.pdf | 323.75 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.
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NAM_2020-08_Rhino poaching in Namibia down 63 percent on tougher policing penalties_Reuters.pdf | 358.49 KB |
A 33-year-old employee of an electricity company is one of four men arrested at Otjiwarongo on Monday with rhino horns that had been freshly sawed off.
The 10 people charged with illegal hunting and possession of game meat at Kalkfeld settlement, made their first court appearance on Monday in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate's Court.
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NAM_2019-08_Lela Mobile Online_Ten in illegal hunting case at Kalkfeld appear in court.pdf | 484.65 KB |