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Namibian Wildlife Crimes article archive

This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to articles
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia

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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Displaying results 1 - 28 of 28
Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Angula V 2024. Namibia rhino poaching on rise in first quarter of 2024.

Environmentalists in Namibia have accused local wildlife officials of hiding the real extent of rhino poaching in the Etosha National Park, which holds the highest concentration of black rhinos in the world. The Ministry of Environment recently acknowledged that rhino killings at the park quadrupled during the first quarter of 2024. Namibian police apprehended two suspects Sunday for the killing of an adult female black rhino and a medium-sized male calf black rhino at the park's waterhole earlier that day.

Wednesday, 27 September 2023
2023. Self-styled prophet arrested for python skin.

Policw in Harare on Sunday arrested a self-styled prophet for possessing a three-metre long python skin.

Wednesday, 10 May 2023
2023. Tanzanian among 2 arrested with 81 kilos of elephant tusks in Makueni.

The tusks had a street value of more than Sh8 million, officials said In Summary: Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers; As part of efforts to stop the crime, Kenya has started using high-tech surveillance equipment including drones to track poaching gangs. Two men including a Tanzanian national were arrested while transporting 81.7 kilograms of elephant tusks in Mukaa area, Makueni County.

Wednesday, 16 November 2022
2022. Mozambicans jailed for 30 years for rhino hunting.

Rhino poaching is driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asian countries. In Summary: They were arrested in September last year with a firearm and ammunition at a game farm with the aim of slaughtering rhinos to extract their horns for commercial purposes. This is the second time that a hunter of a protected species has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Friday, 4 November 2022
Motha S 2022. Many rangers suffer psychological impact of rhino poaching says SanParks.

"Our rangers got into conservation and they are trained in conservation. They are not trained to be militant and shoot people. So the psycho-social impacts of poachers and the fight against wildlife crime and the militarisation of our parks is huge." "We are seeing children who now have absent parents. Rangers are in the field for time. We’re seeing the impact of the post traumatic stress disorder from rangers but affecting children because the children of these parents are also being affected."

Thursday, 1 September 2022
Nhongo K 2022. Rhinoceros poaching surges in Namibia.

Namibia is experiencing a surge in poaching, with the number of poached rhinoceros rising to 48 this year, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said Wednesday. In a statement, Muyunda said of the poached rhinoceros, 32 were black rhinoceros and 16 were white rhinoceros.

Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Mwende S 2022. DCI arrests 3 suspects found in possession of pangolin in Kwale.

DCI detectives based at the Serious Crimes Unit on Tuesday arrested three suspects in Kinango, Kwale County, after being found in possession of a male pangolin.

Thursday, 21 July 2022
2022. Zimbabwean, foreigner nabbed over elephant tusks.

Two men have been arrested in Bulawayo after they were found in possession of 20,5 kilogrammes of elephant tusks.

Thursday, 30 June 2022
2022. Duo arrested for poaching impalas.

Police arrested two men in Chiredzi for poaching impalas and recovered three carcasses during investigations. In a statement, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said it had also recovered poaching paraphernalia such as knives and a hunting torch. On June 28, police in Chiredzi arrested Passmore Mashava (26) and Shepherd Madzore (30) in connection with poaching of three impalas.

Monday, 27 June 2022
2022. Kwale police arrest two illegal pangolin hunters.

Kwale police have arrested two men who were illegally in possession of a pangolin. The two were nabbed at Malomani area in Samburu sub-county.

Thursday, 14 April 2022
Fugu M 2022. Buffalo killed in Mole National Park: 2 Poachers arrested.

Two poachers have been arrested by rangers of the Mole National Park in the Savannah Region for allegedly poaching and killing a buffalo in the park.

Friday, 8 April 2022
2022. Trio nabbed for pangolins.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested three men from Chipinge for suspected unlawful possession of two live pangolins.

Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Masika C 2022. Man in court for trying to sell Sh300,000 tusks to cops.

The charge sheet says the tusks weighed three kilograms, worth Sh300,000.

Thursday, 10 February 2022
2022. Manhunt for rhino poacher.

Police have launched a manhunt for a suspected poacher after a rhino carcass was discovered with a bullet in its forehead in Matobo, Matabeleland South province, on Monday. In a statement on Wednesday, police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations are underway. "The ZRP is investigating a case of poaching of protected animals, where a Black Rhino carcass with horns missing was found at Makotama Resettlements, Matobo, on February 7, 2022".

Tuesday, 8 February 2022
2022. Three in court for pangolin possession.

Three men who were allegedly found in possession of a pangolin worth US$5 000 appeared before a Harare magistrate on Friday facing charges of contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14). Munashe Maposa (23), Oswell Chingwara (21) and Vincent Sigauke (23) of Chipinge were denied bail and remanded to February 18 for bail application. Prosecutor Ms Ruvimbo Matyatya said on February 3, at around 6am, detectives from the CID Minerals Flaura and Fauna Unit received information that a male adult was selling a live pangolin along George Silundika Street in Harare.

Friday, 28 January 2022
Wangui P 2022. Two suspected poachers arrested, 14 pieces of ivory recovered.

Two suspected poachers were on Thursday arrested in Korinda junction in Busia county. Police acted on a tip-off from members of the public and nabbed the two men, 60-year-old Mohamed Abbas and a 70-year-old Paul Wafula Njoka. The suspects were using a motorbike with registration number KMEV721N in their operation. The police recovered the haul after conducting a search. They took them as exhibits together with the motorbike. The two suspects were taken to Busia Police station as they wait to be arraigned to answer to charges.

Saturday, 4 December 2021
Makanyanga D 2021. Chinese fugitive arrested in UAE.

One of the seven Chinese nationals who slipped out of the country while on bail after being arraigned on charges of money laundering and possession of more than 20 kilogrammes of rhino horns has been arrested by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in the United Arab Emirates after spending over two years on the run.

Sunday, 21 November 2021
2021. All hands on deck against rhino poaching.

In the past three years, gun battles between rhino poachers and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) rangers have killed about 20 people. Wildlife economists say a country like Zimbabwe, which has a large rhino population, needs to continue to remain alert as the endangered species to be under threat from poachers. According to America-based wildlife organisation, World Animal Foundation, the rhino horn is estimated at US$65 000 per kg, which is more than the value of gold or diamonds.

Saturday, 9 October 2021
Waithaka E 2021. Four suspected poachers arrested with 76kg ivory.

Kenya Wildlife Service wardens in Laikipia on Wednesday evening arrested four suspected poachers and recovered four pieces of elephant ivories weighing 76 kilogrammes.

Thursday, 22 July 2021
Kindzeka ME 2021. Cameroon police intercept pangolin scales trafficked from 3 central African states.

Cameroonian police say they have for the first time during the pandemic seized parts of an estimated 2,000 pangolins poached in Cameroon and neighboring Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Police say travel restrictions had slowed trafficking of the endangered anteater to Asia, where its meat is considered a delicacy and the scales are used in traditional medicine. At least 12 bags of Pangolin scales and leopard skin are in a police warehouse at Nlonkak, a neighborhood in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde.

Tuesday, 8 June 2021
Amunga V 2021. Kenya looks to maintain zero rhino poaching record.

Kenya's Wildlife Service says that for the first time in 21 years, not a single rhinoceros was poached in the country's national parks in 2020. To maintain the progress, it is conducting the first ever wildlife census and placing mobile container housing in parks for rangers.

Tuesday, 2 March 2021
Dube M 2021. Botswana Denies 120 Rhinos Poached in 18 Months.

Botswana, confronting an unprecedented rise in poaching, has refuted reports by former President Ian Khama that at least 120 rhinoceroses have been killed in the last 18 months. Instead, the government says, wildlife crimes have dropped by 70 percent since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Saturday, 12 December 2020
2020. Five white rhinos killed by poachers in November in Botswana.

At least five white rhinos were killed and dehorned on different occasions in November, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Botswana confirmed Thursday.

Sunday, 13 September 2020
Dube M 2020. Botswana parliament rejects call to arm game rangers.

Botswana's National Assembly has rejected a call to rearm its game rangers that was driven by a surge in rhinoceros poaching in recent years. Guns were taken away from the rangers in 201, but an opposition party lawmaker had moved a motion to rearm the wildlife officers.

Thursday, 20 August 2020
Dube M 2020. Botswana moves to rearm rangers as rhino poaching intensifies.

Botswana has decided to re-arm its wildlife rangers as the southern African country battles increased cases of poaching. In the last six months, at least 17 poachers have been killed in gunfire exchanges with the army. The government had disarmed wildlife rangers in 2018, saying that under the law, only the military was allowed the use of firearms during anti-poaching patrols. With the country losing 56 rhinoceros to poachers in the last two years, the government is reconsidering that approach. Wildlife and Tourism …

Friday, 3 July 2020
Diaz C 2020. The stronghold for Africa’s elephants is under certain threat.

As we now know, Botswana is home to a third of Africa's declining elephant population. But, over the last two months, 350 elephant carcasses have been spotted in the Okavango Delta since the start of May. It is a serious worry that over 350 elephants have died with no clear reason and indeed a conservation disaster.
The world looks at this mysterious deaths and needs to know the real cause of the mass loss of elephants, and what should be done to stop this unnatural disaster, one thing the deaths are unrelated to drought.

Monday, 13 April 2020
Towindo L 2020. Elephant poaching and illicit financial flows.

According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 322 elephants were killed by poachers between 2016 and 2019, largely for their tusks. These are then shipped out to Asia, via South Africa, but the real number may be much higher, according to wildlife groups. Much of the poaching occurs in northern Zimbabwe in game reserves straddling the border with Zambia, according to ZimParks, a statutory body responsible for managing the country’s wildlife population.

Saturday, 22 February 2020
de Klerk M 2020. South Africa Mozambique cooperation reduces rhino poaching .

Kruger National Park, South Africa - Officials at South African National Parks say cooperation with neighboring Mozambique has been a key factor in reducing rhinoceros poaching in the famous Kruger National Park. Kruger is home to the world's largest wild rhino population, and has proven a tempting target for poachers who for years jumped the park’s borders.

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