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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A male elephant was shot eight times during a trophy hunt before eventually succumbing to its injuries on 3 September 2023. Humane Society International is now looking at the legal options it can pursue. The animal welfare group said the issuing of the permit by Limpopo to hunt the animal was unlawful because of an court interdict in place. "The elephant suffered through eight gunshots over an extended period of time before finally succumbing to his injuries.
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SA_2023_09_Elephant shot eight times during unlawful hunt at Limpopo game reserve_The Citizen.pdf | 415.74 KB |
A tip-off was received and officers from various task teams worked together to effect the arrests on the N12. A joint police operation has resulted in the arrest of four suspects after they were found in possession of three elephant tusks. The arrest took place on Saturday on the N12 near Potchefstroom. According to North-West police spokesperson Captain Aafje Botma, the arrest emanated from a follow-up made on intelligence received earlier that day.
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SA_2023_06_Police nab 4 for possession of elephant tusks near Potchefstroom_The Citizen.pdf | 190.45 KB |
According to media reports, five Germans, two Americans, one Australian and four South Africans came under gunfire attack on a double-decker tour boat on Wednesday, in a broader drama involving the recent slaughter of about 25 elephants from a wandering herd. The tourists were attacked shortly after 10.30am on the eastern shores of the Jozini/Pongolapoort Dam on the southern border between SA and eSwatini.
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SA_2023_01_Jozini Dam_ANC and DA condemn gunfire attack as poaching conflict rises_The Citizen.pdf | 331.66 KB |
From the investigations, it is believed that villagers in the area collude with people from other regions in trapping and killing the giraffe, while crossing the Mswakini and Kwakuchinja wildlife corridors.
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TAN_2022_06_Why giraffe killings are top on poachers hit list in Manyara_The Citizen.pdf | 494.31 KB |
In January 2021, Nigeria seized pangolin scales and tusks and bones from endangered species hidden in a container of furniture materials. The seized materials are used in traditional Chinese medicine despite having no medicinal value. Studies have suggested that pangolins, the most-smuggled animals in the world, may have been an intermediate host of the coronavirus that was discovered in an outdoor farmers market in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Customs officials said the contraband consisted of 162 sacks of pangolin scales and 57 sacks of mixed animal parts, including ivory and…
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SA_2021_12_COVID_19 clears pathway for poachers_Defenceweb.pdf | 441.45 KB |
South African National Parks (SANParks) today (10 December) said its Environmental Crime Investigation Unit (ECI) in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), conducted a series of intelligence driven operations which led to the arrest of eight suspected poachers in October and November in villages adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP).
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SA_2021_12_SANParks joint intelligence operations leads to arrest of suspected poachers_Defenceweb.pdf | 419.02 KB |
South Africa is no stranger to wildlife crime as shown in Operation Thunder, an Interpol-led effort against environmental crime in the broadest sense of the words. The worldwide enforcement operation against wildlife and timber crime co-ordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) disrupted crime networks and saw hundreds of arrests internationally, the France-headquartered policing body said.
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SA_2021_12_Interpol Op Thunder nabs wildlife criminals_Defenceweb.pdf | 511.03 KB |