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.
A man was arrested alongside a foreigner, in the possession of elephant tusks weighing 18.7kg worth more than US$3 000. In a statement, police said Passivel Togara (47) and his accomplice were arrested by detectives who posed as buyers of the elephant tusks on 29 November 2023 in Katakura area, Rushinga.
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ZIM_2023_12_Foreigner and local man arrested in possession of 18 kg elephant tusks_The Chronicle.pdf | 113.09 KB |
Two men were arrested in possession of two elephant tusks and five pangolin scales at Magunje Growth Point.
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ZIM_2023-11_Two arrested in possession of elephant tusks and pangolin scales_The Chronicle.pdf | 497.1 KB |
A man was arrested for the possession of 22 kilograms of ivory, valued at approximately US$3 740.
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ZIM_2023_10_Man arrested for possession of 22 kg of ivory_The Chronicle.pdf | 181.12 KB |
In a recent development in Sesheke, the Subordinate Court has handed down a five-year prison sentence to a foreign national, Edward Mushanana, aged 50, hailing from Botswana. Mr. Mushanana was found guilty of illegally possessing a lion skin weighing 12.7 kilograms.
The Itezhi -Tezhi Magistrates' Court in Southern Province has convicted and slapped a five year jail sentence with hard labour on a 51-year-old man for being found in possession of Ivory. Particulars were Shamazongo on 15th September 2023, in Itezhi -Tezhi had in his possession a prescribed trophy namely 10.4 kilograms of Ivory without a certificate of authority from the Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.
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ZAM_2023_09_Man jailed five years for unlawful possession of Ivory_Lusaka Times.pdf | 298.84 KB |
Five men were arrested for poaching at Humani Ranch which led to the recovery of 15 kg of Impala meat and a live Pangolin. In a statement, police said: "The suspects are Peter Tendi (38), Innocent Manyezu (31), Michael Bishou (23), Hlanganayi Sithole (61)." The suspects were arrested on Monday following a tip-off. On 18/09/23, Police in Chipinge acted on received information and arrested Peter Tendi (38), Innocent Manyezu (31), Michael Bishou (23), Harunaishe Shuro (43), and Johnson Hlanganayi Sithole (61) in connection with poaching at Humani Ranch…
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ZIM_2023_09_Five arrested for poaching_The Chronicle_Breaking news.pdf | 210.22 KB |
ZAW officers in Livingstone on Sunday killed an elephant that attacked 1 36 year old man of Simoonga village. Below, members of the community share the meat of the elephant in question Three people in Lumezi District have been sentenced to one month imprisonment with hard labour for unlawful possession of a government trophy.
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ZAM_2023_07_Lundazi trio jailed for unlawful possession of game meat_LusakaTimes.pdf | 260 KB |
A man was caught red handed skinning an Impala at Zambezi National Park in Victoria Falls and was arrested with 11 wire snares and carcases.
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ZIM_2023_07_Man caught skinning Impala_The Chronicle.pdf | 205.53 KB |
Three Victoria falls men have been arrested for poaching. They were found with 10,5 kilogrammes of kudu meat.
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ZIM_2023_07_Trio arrested for poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 207.32 KB |
Two men in Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North province have been arrested after police found them with a pair of elephant tusks on Thursday.
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ZIM_2023_05_Pair nabbed with elephant tusks_The Chronicle.pdf | 144.1 KB |
Police have arrested two Hwange men for unlawful possession of ivory. In a statement on twitter police wrote: "On 30/03/23, Police in Hwange acted on a tip-off and arrested Cephas Charumbira (40) and Dickson Munkombwa (45) for a case of unlawful possession of raw unmarked ivory without a permit. Detectives recovered four pieces of elephantivory measuring approximately 2x75cm, 1x15cm, and 1x10cm from the suspects."
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ZIM_2023_03_Two arrested for ivory possession_The Chronicle.pdf | 239.47 KB |
Two Bulawayo men have been arrested for allegedly possessing ivory with a market value of over US$2 000.
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ZIM_2023_03_Two arrested for possession of ivory_The Chronicle.pdf | 185.22 KB |
The Itezhi Tezhi Magistrates Court has found a farmer guilty of unlawful possession of game meat and sentenced him to three years in prison. The details of count three are that Mafuta unlawfully hunted and killed a game animal, namely a warthog, without a hunting license on the same date, jointly and with others unknown.
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ZAM_2022_09_Poacher jailed fined K242000 for poaching_Lusaka Times.pdf | 287.89 KB |
A Gokwe man has been nabbed after he was found in possession of an elephant tusk following a tip off by members of the public.
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ZIM_2022_08_Man arrested after being found in possession of elephant tusk_The Chronicle.pdf | 329.23 KB |
The Itezhi Tezhi Magistrates Court has convicted and sentenced three Itezhi Tezhi residents to five years in jail and fined two others K120, 000 for unlawful possession of 810 kilograms of game meat worth K42, 448.
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ZAM_2022_08_Three convicted sentenced to five years for unlawful possession of game meat_Lusakatimes.pdf | 287.62 KB |
Facts before court were that on 1 April 2022 the duo whilst acting together possessed a prescribed trophy namely elephant ivory weighing 25 KG and valued at K 90,467 without a certificate of ownership issued by the Director General the Zambia Wildlife Authority.
Two elephants are suspected to have been killed by poisoning by poachers after they were found dead in the Sentinel Safaris area which is part of Zimbabwe’s component of the Greater Mapungubwe Trans-frontier Conservation Area (GMTCA). The mega-park is made up of communal lands and national parks from Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
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ZIM_2022_05_Two Zimbabwe elephants poisoned by poachers_The Chronicle.pdf | 583.4 KB |
Community participation is key to reducing wildlife crimes amid concerns that the country is losing revenue as a result of poaching. Poachers kill elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns. The official value of ivory is US$250 per kilogramme yet poachers can sell it for as little as US$50 per kilogramme.
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ZIM_2022_04_Zim losing forex to poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 380.12 KB |
Poaching activities around Hwange National Park went down last year, thanks to the involvement of local communities in anti-poaching campaigns. Poaching remains one of the main threats to the survival of painted dogs found in the area. Covid-19 induced lockdowns worsened the situation over the past two years.
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ZIM_Anti_poaching campaigns pay off in Hwange_The Chronicle.pdf | 485.66 KB |
A man has been arrested for unlawful possession of ivory after he was found with two elephant tusks. Police confirmed the arrest which occurred in Victoria Falls on February 21.
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ZIM_2022_02_Man arrested after being found with elephant tusks_The Chronicle.pdf | 486.59 KB |
Three Bulawayo men were on Tuesday arrested after police found them in possession of a lion skin which they had stashed inside a bag.
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ZIM_2022_02_Three men arrested for possession of lion skin_The Chronicle.pdf | 873.37 KB |
Two Victoria Falls men, one of them a neighbourhood watch committee (NWC) member, have been fined $6 000 each for trapping animals with wire snares.
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ZIM_2021_10_Suspended sentences for wire snare poachers_The Chronicle.pdf | 1.92 MB |
Four suspected poachers have been arrested after being found in possession of elephant tusks worth nearly US$3 000.
Two men from Bulawayo appeared in court for possessing about 16kg of ivory without a licence.
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ZIM_2021_07_Two men found in possession of Ivory_The Chronicle.pdf | 366.48 KB |
Two men from Madumabisa outside Hwange town have been sentenced to nine years in jail after they were caught in a bush in Matetsi with a live pangolin.
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ZIM_2021_07_Two men jailed nine years each for poaching pangolin_The Chronicle.pdf | 376.24 KB |
An anti-poaching scout in Victoria Falls and his friend have been arrested for selling Kudu meat after finding the animal's carcass in a bush.
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ZIM_2021_05_ Anti_poaching scout nabbed selling Kudu meat_The Chronicle.pdf | 779.97 KB |
A Victoria Falls City Council driver who hit a warthog while driving a municipal vehicle, skinned it and took the meat home for consumption has been arrested for poaching.
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ZIM_2021_04_Vic Falls City Council driver arrested for poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 389.03 KB |
A 23-year-old villager from Sikabela on the outskirts of Victoria Falls town has been arrested after being found with two elephant tusks. Police and ZimParks rangers trapped Fredrick Ndlovu after getting a tip-off that he was selling the ivory at Lupinyu Business Centre near the Victoria Falls Airport.
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ZIM_2021_03_Villager arrested over elephant tusks_The Chronicle.pdf | 858.7 KB |
The Chinsali subordinate court has sentenced a 51-year-old poacher to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for unlawful possession of 9.5 kilogrammes (kg) of ivory.
Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country.
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ZIM_2020-10_Pangolin peddling villagers arrested_The Chronicle.pdf | 314.08 KB |
Pietermaritzburg police intercepted and arrested a man transporting rhino horn worth R1.2 million this morning.
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SA_2020-10_R1.2 million rhino horn bust in PMB_Eyethu News.pdf | 225.66 KB |
Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country. Ephrain Mugande (35) and Simple Mugande (32) both of Manjolo Village under Chief Sikalenge illegally hunted the pangolin in Chizarira National Park on the boundary of Binga and Gokwe before crossing the Zambezi River with it to Sinazongwe town in Zambia with the intention to sell it.
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ZIM_2020-09_Two Binga villagers arrested for trying to sell pangolin_The Chronicle.pdf | 616.79 KB |
The Chama Subordinate Court has sentenced a poacher to seven years imprisonment for illegal possession of elephant ivory weighing 10 kilograms. Lovemore Nkhowani, 60, a former wildlife police officer, turned into a notorious elephant poacher nicknamed Mbanje, was charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of Prescribed Trophy, that is elephant ivory, contrary to section 130(1) of the Zambia wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015.
Four elephants were found dead, three of them without tusks in Woodlands Farm resettlement area on Monday.
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ZIM_2020-03_Four elephants poisoned_tusks removed_The Chronicle.pdf | 504.07 KB |
Three suspected rhino poachers who allegedly strayed into Bubye Conservancy in Mazunga area in Beitbridge district, where they intended to poison wildlife were on Thursday denied bail by the High Court.
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ZIM_2020-03_Three suspected rhino poachers found with pesticide denied bail_The Chronicle.pdf | 284.18 KB |
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has arrested a 39 year old Kapiri Mposhi man for being in possession of 12 pieces of elephant Ivory tusks worth over K100, 000. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Central Region Warden Patrick Sakanga has confirmed the arrest to ZANIS yesterday.
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ZAM_2020-03_Zambia Police arrest man for being in possession of 12 pieces of elephant Ivory tusks.pdf | 101.86 KB |
A Hwange man and his son have been arrested for poaching after they were allegedly caught trapping animals and birds at the edge of Hwange National Park. Smart Shoko (48) and Ferdinand Shoko (26) both of Number F98 Madumabisa were found in possession of four impala carcasses, a baboon carcass and 79 fowl birds when they were ambushed by an anti-poaching unit in Bumbusi area outside Hwange town on Tuesday.
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ZIM_2021_07_Father and son arrested for poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 229.79 KB |