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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 - 30 of 30
Tuesday, 28 November 2023
David M 2023. One arrested for illegal hunting.

A man has been arrested for contravening Act 04/1975, Section 30, related to the hunting of huntable game at Farm Hamis in the Khomas region. According to the police weekend report, it is alleged that two suspects entered Farm Hamis and shot a kudu bull without permission. The farm workers heard the gunshot and responded by alerting the Namibian police, who acted promptly and arrested one of the suspected poachers. The second suspect fled the scene with the hunting rifle and has not yet been apprehended. The kudu carcass was recovered and valued at N$6,000.

Monday, 20 November 2023
Rental car exposes illegal hunting.

The Namibian police in the Otjozondjupa Region have arrested two suspected illegal hunters, thanks to a rental vehicle that exposed their whereabouts. The two suspects, aged 23 and 46, were found in possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as carcasses of two kudu bulls, two waterbucks, and an oryx, with an estimated total value of N$35,000. According to the police, the illegal hunting was uncovered accidentally through a rental vehicle they were travelling in.

Tuesday, 12 September 2023
David M 2023. Pensioner caught for killing protected game.

A 62-year-old pensioner man was arrested for shooting a Duiker and monitor lizard worth N$23 400. The incident occurred at farm 39 in Mangetti Cattle Range, Kavango West.

Wednesday, 23 August 2023
David M 2023. 62 wire snares retrieved at Etosha.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) is concerned about the increasing use of snares to illegally hunt and kill wild animals in Etosha National Park. This comes after wire snares were discovered and retrieved in Etosha National Park.

Monday, 24 July 2023
David M 2023. Five caught for illegal hunting.

The police in Otjozondjupa arrested 5 men aged 41, 31, 29, and 33 for illegal hunting of protected animals on Friday. The suspects were allegedly caught on Friday around 00h00 on D2172 road in Ovitoto, Okahandja District. They face charges of illegal hunting of game and being found in possession of huntable game. According to the police weekend report issued on Sunday, the suspects were arrested after being found with half anOryx game meat at a mini road block and failed to account or produce any permit.

Monday, 17 July 2023
David M 2023. Small stock and illegal hunting concerns Uerikua.

James Uerikua, the Governor of Otjozondjupa Region, expressed concern over the high number of stock theft cases and illegal hunting of game in the region. Uerikua made these remarks during his recent State of the Region Address (SORA).

Monday, 10 July 2023
2023. Angolan national arrested near Osire for illegal hunting.

An Angolan national, who is part of a group of workers doing debushing work at a farm in the Otjiwarongo area, has been arrested for alleged illegal hunting of an Oryx. The incident was discovered by farm workers at around 10:00 on Saturday during a routine patrol at the farm Otjipoto near Osire. They found an Oryx caught up in a wire snare and identified shoe prints of a suspect at the scene. The farm workers reported the matter to the police, who tracked the shoe prints to the houses accommodating the workers involved in the debushing work at the farm.

Thursday, 1 June 2023
2023. Seven arrested in relation to three wildlife crimes.

Seven people have been arrested in relation to three wildlife crimes that took place between 17 and 23 April. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, these incidents occurred in the Kavango East, Kunene, and Erongo Regions. Two out of the three cases reported during that period involve high-value species. In the first case, registered at the Opuwo Police Station in the Kunene Region, the police arrested three men for possessing four counterfeit rhino horns.

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
David M 2023. Woman granted bail for possession of wild bird carcasses.

Josephina Johannes was granted bail on Monday after appearing in the Tsumeb Magistrates Court. Johannes is accused of being in possession of protected game bird meat without a permit. According to Oshikoto Community Affairs Officer Inspector Ellen Nehale, the accused was granted bail of N$5,000, and the case was postponed to August 17, 2023, pending further investigation.

Thursday, 30 March 2023
David M 2023. No more poaching in Etosha, says Sakaria.

Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, the Oshana Regional Police Commander, was recently named the Gold Commander for the Etosha National Park Anti-poaching Safety and Security squad. Sakaria was named on March 23 and will, for the next six months, be in charge of directing the joint Nampol/NDF operational work in the Etosha National Park. He said that he will concurrently be in charge of the Oshana Region and also the anti-poaching operations in Etosha. "I have already been to Etosha, rotated the personnel and properly briefed them," he said.

Monday, 5 December 2022
2022. Suspected mountain zebra hunters nabbed.

Two suspected mountain zebra hunters were arrested in the Maltahohe area on Friday. They face charges of "hunting of specially protected game without a permit".

Tuesday, 15 November 2022
2022. Three arrested for possession of leopard/African skunk skins.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism reported two newly registered wildlife crime cases, and arrested three suspects in relation to the possession of protected wildlife skins. The Ministry of Environment reported that on 8 November 2022, two suspects, identified as Tjizire Kohongo and Angula Kafidi, were arrested after being found in possession of a leopard's skin.

Wednesday, 19 October 2022
2022. Five arrested in relation to four wildlife crimes.

Four newly registered wildlife crime cases have been made between 11 and 12 October and five Namibian men were arrested in relation to these cases. This was revealed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's weekly wildlife crime statistics. These statistics indicate that two elephant tusks, two live pangolins and four full duiker carcasses were confiscated after the arrest of the suspects, which took place in the Oshana, Kavango East and Omaheke regions.

Monday, 15 August 2022
2022. Serial poacher wounded and arrested.

A serial poacher with previous convictions is in police custody after he was arrested and treated for a leg wound that he sustained when the owner of the farm Kaliombo in die notorious poaching district of Karibib fired a shot at three fleeing suspects carrying meat. The police said that the farm owner patrolled and inspected his farm after he heard dogs barking and was also alerted by security guards of the possibility that there were poachers moving about. The owners came upon three suspected poachers accompanied by three hunting dogs carrying meat.

Monday, 1 February 2021
Terblanché N 2021. Poachers caught red handed.

Excellent cooperation between the farming community and the Namibian Police in the area of Kapps Farm saw the arrest of three men suspected of poaching wildlife. According to a member of the farming community, the owner of Farm Bellrode discovered that there are poachers on his property on Sunday afternoon when he saw two strange dogs running through the bushes.

Monday, 30 November 2020
Kandovazu E 2020. Suspected poacher killed by guard.

A man suspected of being a poacher, 27-year-old Claudius Hameva, was fatally shot at a game farm around Okakarara earlier this morning following a scuffle between him and the farm's security guard.

Tuesday, 14 July 2020
Terblanché N 2020. Police hunting for poacher gang.

The discovery of a camouflage uniform of the Namibian Defence Force among the belongings of a gang of poachers has added another aspect to the investigation into illegal hunting in Namibia’s national parks. Members of the public who spotted the poachers attempting to recover a broken down vehicle with the help of a second vehicle from the desert in the vicinity of the Kuiseb Canyon informed the Namibian Police about the suspicious activity. The gang of poachers and the people assisting them to recover the broken down vehicle fled on foot when they spotted the vehicles…

Friday, 10 July 2020
Shihepo T 2020. Nam anti-poaching gets 'bite'.

Namibia has recorded a drastic reduction in poaching in the past three years because of improved response mechanisms. Most of the success is attributed to the Environment and Tourism Ministry's efforts to upscale law enforcement components of conservation. Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta said anti-poaching canine units (the Ministry of Environment and Tourism Dog Unit) had been deployed to good effect. "The Dog Unit is part of our anti-poaching initiatives.

Tuesday, 5 May 2020
Terblanché N 2020. Poachers cause havoc during lockdown.

Resettlement farms and other government owned land in rural areas of Namibia have become the secure staging ground from where syndicates can perpetrate serious crimes such as murder, poaching and stock theft with seeming impunity. As a result, members of the farming community have had to take on the added responsibility of continuously safeguarding animals and property against the relentless onslaught of criminals.

Friday, 3 April 2020
Jantze Z 2020. Wildlife crime registered every day.

Wildlife crime has become one of the central conservation challenges in Namibia, with a total of 174 wildlife species poached in the country last year alone. This number signifies an increase, as 115 were poached in 2018.

Tuesday, 21 January 2020
2020. Poaching, stock theft suspects in custody.

The police in Maltahöhe is investigating a case of hunting game without a permit, as well as the possession of game meat without a permit after four men illegally hunted an oryx, valued at N$8,000, on farm Kronenhof last Friday.

Friday, 4 October 2019
2019. Combating wildlife contraband intensified.

Namibia's air, sea and land ports in have been identified as key hubs for the export of illegal wildlife products and training is crucial for officials to identify contraband when people and cargo move through checkpoints. In this regard customs officials and police officers from Windhoek and Walvis Bay received training in species identification during the use of baggage and container scanners to detect smuggled wildlife contraband.

Saturday, 14 September 2019
Iilonga A 2019. "Poachers roaming Namibian streets freely" - Shifeta .

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, has called on the Namibian police to enforce strict bail conditions to reoccurring poachers  as many of the wildlife trafficking incidents that have been reported are mostly committed by criminals who have been released from police custody on bail. He said that because the poaching business in enticing and profitable, many of the suspects commit the same offense immediately after being released on bail as no one is carefully monitoring their movement and whereabouts. 

Monday, 2 September 2019
Kandovazu E 2019. Nine arrested for wildlife crimes.

NINE men were arrested over the past for the poaching of protected wildlife species. This is according to environment ministry spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, who stated that the suspects form part of the three newly registered wildlife criminal cases. It is alleged that Gideon Gao-Naseb, Timotheus Kasera and Champion Haraseb killed a rhino at the Omateva farm in the Omitara constituency. They now face charges of hunting of specially protected species and the removal of protected products. The trio was arrested on 20 August and have been remanded in custody.

Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Terblanché N 2019. NAC meat thieves kill rare African wild dog pack.

Three security officers and three employees of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) are in custody at the Hosea Kutako International Airport after they killed two near extinct African wild dogs and wounded another one that was part of a pack of five in order to steal a kudu carcass that the animals managed to kill on the world famous N/a’an ku sê wildlife sanctuary where the animals were in the process of being rehabilitated.

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
David M 2019. Senior NDF officer arrested for poaching.

The 51-year-old Tobias Nuuyoma, a senior officer in the Namibian Defence Force and the 55-year-old Samuel Mumbala, a lecturer at the Valombola Vocational Training Centre were released on bail of N$ 5 000 each after they were arrested on charges of poaching over the past weekend.

Monday, 25 March 2019
Terblanché N 2019. Well known stock theft suspect arrested in Okahandja.

A wild car chase through the streets of Okahandja that ended in a minor motor vehicle accident resulted in the arrest of the 50-year-old Frieda Goses, a well known stock theft suspect from Otjimbingwe.

Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Terblanché N 2019. Hunt still on for fleeing desert poachers.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment assisted by police reservists from Walvis Bay discovered the carcasses of several poached Oryx when they went looking for poachers operating in the Namib Naukluft National Park. According to the official police report provided by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Gurirab, acting Erongo Regional Crime Investigations Coordinator, a team comprising of environment ministry officials and Namibian Police Reservists, came across three to five suspects, while they were slaughtering illegally hunted Oryx.

Sunday, 24 February 2019
Terblanché N 2019. Security guards face a charge of attempted murder.

Five farm security guards face a charge of attempted murder after wounding a suspected poacher who was in the process of fleeing from a makeshift camp on a farm near Karibib. According to Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, Erongo Regional Crime Investigations Coordinator, the shooting incident occurred early on Thursday morning on the Farm Okondura Nord No. 15 when a group of five farm security guards discovered three suspected poachers in a camp in the bushes.

Sunday, 17 February 2019
Terblanché N 2019. NAC meat thieves set free on bail.

The six men who were caught red handed with the carcass of a kudu they stole from a pack of African Wild dogs after killing two and wounding one of the nearly extinct carnivores made their first appearance in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court and were all set free on bail during court proceedings.

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