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.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has recorded 28 cases of rhino poaching in Namibia this year so far. Out of these 28 cases, 19 rhinos were poached in the Etosha National Park, and 10 carcasses of the animals were discovered during dehorning operations in March. The Ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, has expressed concern about the poaching situation in the Etosha National Park, which is a flagship tourist attraction in Namibia. The park has a high number of rhinos and other wildlife species.
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NAM_2024_04_Security cluster to meet after 28 rhino were poached this year_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 198.8 KB |
Three members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) were apprehended on Friday, within the confines of Mangetti National Park. The arrests followed after park officials saw the perpetrators climbing over a fence during a routine anti-poaching patrol and fence inspection. The three soldiers were arrested while attempting to claim over the Mangetti Park’s boundary fence into the Mururani location, bearing bags laden with dried game meat ranging from Eland, Kudu and Wildebeest.
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NAM_2024_04_Three NDF members arrested for poaching in Mangetti National Park_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 187.67 KB |
Between 2015 and February 2024, Namibia lost a staggering 631 rhinos due to poaching, marking a concerning downturn in its conservation success. This is according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism last week during the Commemoration of World Wildlife Day 2024. Breaking down the figures year by year, statistics paint a grim picture of 97 rhinos poached in 2015 alone, with six reported to be poached in 2016 and five poached in 2017.
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NAM_2024_03_More than 600 rhinos were poached in ten years_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 965.03 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has raised alarm over the serious threat facing pangolins in Namibia. According to Romeo Muyunda, the Ministry's spokesperson, there has been a notable increase in pangolin trafficking cases from September to November this year, leading to a significant concern for the survival of this species. Muyunda disclosed that during this period, authorities have confiscated a total of 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins, and 146 pangolin scales. This has resulted in 23 registered cases and the apprehension of 38 suspects.
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NAM_2023_12_Pangolins under serious threat_Environment Ministry observes_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 253.76 KB |
A recent case involving the arrest of a Tanzanian national and three Namibians has shed light on a disturbing trend of international poaching syndicates exploiting local communities in Namibia for illegal harvesting of endangered plant and animal species. This illicit trade is not only threatening the nation's unique plant species but also endangering the livelihoods of its people.
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NAM_2023_12_Vulnerable Namibians exploited by international smuggling syndicates_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 262.76 KB |
In an operation led by Members of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT), in collaboration with the Namibian Police (Nampol) and Namibian Defense Force (NDF), 24 elephant tusks were confiscated during an early morning interception on Friday in the Zambezi region.
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NAM_2023_11_Zambian poachers flee as officials confiscate 24 elephant tusks_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 274.6 KB |
Joseph Nyalungu, popularly known as Big Joe, is accused of involvement in rhino poaching in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The charges against him include possession of rhino horns, poaching, and money laundering.
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SA_2023_11_Bail application of alleged Limpopo rhino poaching kingpin postponed_SABC News.pdf | 332.53 KB |
Three poachers were caught red-handed with a hunting rifle fitted with a silencer and ammunition in the Kruger National Park (KNP). According to KNP spokesperson Isaac Phaahla, the arrests were made in the Stolznek Section on Tuesday. In the first six months of 2023 a total of 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa at an average of just under 1.3 rhinos per day.
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SA_2023_11_WATCH_Poachers caught in Kruger National Park_The South African.pdf | 195.52 KB |
The defence attorney in the case against a former police officer accused of being a rhino poaching kingpin has disputed that their client has 12 pending cases.
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SA_2023_10_Alleged rhino kingpins defence disputes charges against the accused_SABC News.pdf | 391.96 KB |
The Windhoek Magistrate Court has handed down prison sentences of up to 15 years to four individuals involved in a heinous rhino poaching case. The culprits were found guilty for their involvement in a poaching incident dating back to December 2016, where four white rhinos were ruthlessly killed on a private farm in the Gobabis District. On 22 December 2016, the suspects allegedly, without a hunting permit, killed four white rhinos - two bulls and two pregnant cows - each valued at N$1.25 million, with a total value…
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NAM_2023_10_Poachers sentenced to 15 years_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 284.34 KB |
South Africa has lost 231 rhinos to poaching since the beginning of the year.
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SA_2023_09_231 rhinos lost to poaching in SA this year_ongoing concerns on World Rhino Day_SABC News.pdf | 208.12 KB |
As the globe observes World Rhino Day, South Africa has lost 231 rhinos to poaching since the beginning of the year.
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SA_2023_09_Researcher highlights continuous rhino onslaught in South Africa_SABC News.pdf | 135.58 KB |
As the international community marks World Rhino Day on Friday, South Africa and other parts of the African continent are still facing the challenge of rhino poaching. The International Rhino Foundation says poachers have shifted their focus from the larger rhino populations to smaller, and possibly more susceptible ones. In South Africa, poachers are focusing on smaller areas, like the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, which has borne the brunt of South Africa’s rhino poaching deaths in the past year. While Namibia, home to the…
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SA_2023_09_Rhino poaching remains a challenge in SA and Africa_SABC News.pdf | 188.61 KB |
There are around 26 000 rhinos left in the world. 68% of those live in South Africa. By far the majority of them are Southern White Rhinos, which are particularly vulnerable to poaching, because most of them are found in the open Savannah of national parks, making them easy targets. There are four other remaining species of rhino. The Black Rhino, of which there are around 6000, is found in southern and east Africa. The other African species, the Northern White Rhino, is effectively extinct, as the two remaining are both female.
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SA_2023_09_Rhino Poaching_Will it ever end_SABC News.pdf | 199.08 KB |
In a bid to strengthen safety and curb poaching in the country's national parks, SANParks, has added a small surveillance aircraft to its anti-poaching arsenal at the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape. The aircraft was donated by mining giant Anglo American Platinum. The park says the small aircraft will be used to curb poaching and maintain biodiversity. A Senior Section Ranger at Addo Elephant National Park, Anban Padayachee, says hunting and abalone poaching is very rife in the park.
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SA_2023_09_SANParks adds small surveillance aircraft to its anti_poaching arsenal_SABC News.pdf | 201.12 KB |
People that have settled in communities in various areas of the Etosha National Park, one of
Namibia's premier tourist attractions are decimating wildlife by using wire snares to kill animals for
food.
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NAM_2023_08_Illegal wire snares are decimating wildlife in Etosha_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 272.86 KB |
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment says 231 rhinos have been killed thus far this year in South Africa. This figure is from 1 January to 30 June 2023.
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SA_2023_08_231 rhinos killed in South Africa since January_SABC News.pdf | 186.92 KB |
A third suspect has been arrested in Rustenburg, in the North West, for the theft of 51 rhino horns from the offices of the North West Parks and Tourism in Mahikeng last month. The SABC reported at the time that the alleged criminals evaded all security on the premises and took the keys to the safe, from which they stole the horns worth R9 million. Spokesperson for the Hawks in the province, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, says, "The suspect is due to appear in the Mahikeng Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he will be facing a business burglary charge."
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SA_2023_07_Police arrest third suspect accused of stealing 51 rhino horns_SABC News_3.pdf | 349.38 KB |
A suspect has been arrested after being found with two endangered pangolins inside his home in Kuruman in the Northern Cape.
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SA_2023_07_Two more pangolins rescued from trafficker_The South African.pdf | 201.17 KB |
Lion bones are used to replace tiger bones in fortified tiger wine and Traditional Chinese Medicines. Lion bones are also carved into jewellery. South Africa's legal trade of lion bones to Asia has opened up a fast growing illegal trade of the animal carcass. On Friday, a 43 year old man was arrested for the illegal possession of lion bones destined for Asia.
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SA_2023_06_Lion bones destined for Asia discovered in mans lugguage_The South African.pdf | 351.16 KB |
A 32-year-old poacher, Freedom Siyabonga Ndlovu, was sentenced to 32 years of direct imprisonment for offences related to poaching by the Skukuza Regional Court. The accused had a hand in the killing of three rhinos.
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SA_2023_06_Freedom Ndlovu handed a 32_year sentence for poaching offences_The South African.pdf | 348.6 KB |
This past weekend, police have seized large quantities of abalone in the Eastern Cape and Free State with both consignments allegedly heading to Bloemfontein. In the latest arrest, a 46-year-old suspect was apprehended and police recovered abalone worth over R1 million.
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SA_2023_06_Police seize R1million worth of abalone in Makhanda_The South African.pdf | 181.08 KB |
Four men were arrested for allegedly attempting to sell two endangered pangolins for R200 000 in Mahikeng, North West.
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SA_2023_05_Hawks pounce on pangolin peddlers_four arrested_The SouthAfrican.pdf | 438.91 KB |
"There are conservation policies in the Ministry that deal with those illegal actions of poaching. Rhinos are protected by the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act Nine (9) of 2008, which still contains penalties widely viewed as being woefully inadequate in light of the value of the illegal trade in animal products such as elephant tusks, rhino horn and pangolin scales", Muyunda stressed.
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NAM_2023_05_Killing of rhinos remains illegal_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 274.48 KB |
The Ministry of Environment Tourism and Forestry has arrested eight suspects on charges related to rhino poaching over the Easter long weekend, in two separate incidents. "Last week two suspects that illegally entered the Etosha National Park to hunt Rhinos were arrested during a mobile roadblock on the Tsumeb and Otavi road, two fresh rhino horns were found in their possession and confiscated by Blue Rhino Task Team," the environment Ministry's Chief Public Relations Officer, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.
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NAM_2023_04_Eight suspected rhino poachers arrested_Windhoek Oberserver.pdf | 217.96 KB |
An intelligence-driven operation earlier this week led to the arrest in the Oshikoto Region of two residents of Windhoek who stand accused of trading in controlled wildlife products. According to a report about the arrest, provided by the commander of the Namibian Police in Oshikoto Region, Commissioner Teopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku, information received by investigators suggested that the two suspects were on their way to the south after completing a transaction where they were seen selling a pangolin skin.
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NAM_2023_03_Pangolin skin lands two in jail_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 243.4 KB |
Police arrested 26-year-old man on the N6 Road with 16 refuse bags filled with abalone.
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SA_2023_03_Police confiscate bags full of abalone worth over R1 million_The South African.pdf | 422.29 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism yesterday said they responded to a report about a Hippo that was found dead in the Muyako area, in a purported poaching incident. The Ministry's Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said that upon close inspection by staff members, it was found that the hippo had a bullet wound, adding that it was poached the previous night. "When the team arrived, community members had already gathered in anticipation for the meat distribution exercise.
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NAM_2023_03_Hippo poached at Zambezi_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 274.85 KB |
In an unrelated incident, an integrated operation led to the arrest of two suspects in Gansbaai on Friday, 17 February 2023. The team set up a vehicle checkpoint on the R43 between Gansbaai and Stanford and stopped a suspicious minibus taxi. They searched the vehicle and the occupants and confiscated 3608 units of abalone. This has an estimated to have a street value of R1.4 million.
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SA_2023_02_Two arrested for illegal possession of abalone_The South African.pdf | 167.43 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has identified its employee Otto Jan Uirab as the suspect in the poaching incident that occurred last week. He is charged alongside Nedbank employee, Harold Xarageb, and two other suspects Gaeb Franklin and Veldskoendraer Neely. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of illegally hunting a blue wildebeest in the Dan Viljoen Park near Windhoek last week. They have since appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s court. A case has been opened with the Otjomuise Police station and the suspects were remanded in custody until the May 2023…
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NAM_2023_02_MEFT employee nabbed for poaching_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 291.96 KB |
An official from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism was amongst three other suspects that were arrested on suspicion of illegally hunting a blue wildebeest in Dan Viljoen Park near Windhoek. "The incident happened on Tuesday at a roadblock between Dan Viljoen and Windhoek. The Ministry condemns the incident particularly, the alleged involvement of a staff member," said the ministry’s spokesperson Romeo Muyunda. They were arrested on Tuesday at the roadblock, west of Windhoek, leading to the game park.
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NAM_2023_02_Ministry official arrested for poaching_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 257.16 KB |
A 47-year-old accused will appear in the Kabokweni Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, after his DNA was linked to rhino horns found during a search and seizure operation.
The police in the Eastern Cape are searching for poachers who shot, killed, and dehorned two rhinos on a safari farm in Paterson on Wednesday evening, 1 February.
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SA_2023_02_Police on the hunt for rhino poachers who killed two rhino_The South African.pdf | 317.53 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism today said that 80 rhinos were poached last year, while elephant poaching has significantly decreased over the last eight years, dropping from 101 in 2015 to four in 2022, however, the same cannot be said for rhino poaching, which remains a concern with over 80 cases reported in the last year.
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NAM_2023_01_80 rhinos and four elephants poached last year_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 175.55 KB |
The US Treasury Department and South Africa's National Treasury on Wednesday agreed to form a task force to combat illicit finance linked to the illegal wildlife trade, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. Speaking at the Dinokeng Game Reserve outside Pretoria, Yellen told South African officials that the new task force aims to boost information sharing between the two country's financial intelligence units and to strengthen controls to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
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SA_2023_01_Task force established to combat wildlife trafficking_SABC News_4.pdf | 174.98 KB |
Police said four women are in custody for the possession of lion cubs they were selling in Boksburg North.
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SA_2022_12_Four women in custody for possession of lion cubs they were selling_The South African.pdf | 210.78 KB |
At least 22 men appeared in court last week for various wildlife crimes they have committed. This is according to the weekly wildlife crime statistics by the Namibian Police Intelligence and Investigation Unit and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism(MEFT). In the most recent wildlife case, Nampol arrested three Namibian men in line with new cases for possession of skins of specifically protected and protected game. "For all the cases registered the arrests and/or seizures were made by a combination of law enforcement agencies NamPol, MEFT, NDF, BRTT and private APU…
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NAM_2022_11_Twenty_two men appear in court for wildlife crimes_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 325.14 KB |
Director of Intelligence at the Wildlife Justice Commission Sarah Stoner is calling for wildlife crime to be recognised as transnational crime and not simply as a conservation issue. According to Stoner, "Our analysis found that rhino horn is most often smuggled with no concealment at all so around 1/3 of horns that were seized in the last 10 years indicate there was no attempt to hide the contraband in the shipment.
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SA_2022_09_Calls for wildlife crime to be recognised as transnational crime_SABC News.pdf | 771.92 KB |
Five people were arrested in Midrand, Gauteng for pangolin trafficking and contravening the National Environmental Management-Biodiversity (NEMBA) Act. The Hawks pounced on the suspects after receiving a tip-off.
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SA_2022_04_Police officer and four others arrested for pangolin dealing in Midrand_The South African.pdf | 380.28 KB |
Both of the convicted rhino poachers had entered the Kruger National Park, and one of them was found to be in the country illegally.
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SA_2022_04_Rhino poaching_Two men sentenced for seperate incidents_The South African.pdf | 383.2 KB |
Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson in the Western Cape said the elephant ivory dealer entered into a plea agreement with the State. The court sentenced Ziwande, 38, to "a fine of R10 000 wholly suspended for five years" for the offence, said Hani. He pleaded guilty to one charge under the Contravention of Section 42(1)(b). Ziwande was arrested on 14 May 2021, after the police’s Crime Intelligence provided the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Cape Town with a tip-off.
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SA_2022_03_Elephant ivory dealer already in prison sentenced again_The South African.pdf | 859.5 KB |
A 25-year-old man was convicted and sentenced by Kuruman Regional Court after trying to sell a pangolin for R200 000.
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SA_2022_02_Man convicted for illegal possession of pangolin in Northern Cape_The South African.pdf | 214.29 KB |
Swift justice has been meted out for this unfortunate smuggler on Wednesday, after he was promptly arrested at OR Tambo for being in possession of no more than eleven separate rhino horn packages.
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SA_2022_02_Gotcha_Smuggler caught with eleven rhino horns at OR Tambo_The South African.pdf | 298.76 KB |
Singapore - An eight-week INTERPOL operation against wildlife crime and trafficking resulted in arrests and seizures across Asia and Africa. Codenamed Golden Strike, the operation - which ended late last year - targeted the criminals and networks smuggling wildlife protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from Africa to Asia.
A rhino horn trader has been sentenced to 14 years in jail, the longest ever prison term a Vietnamese court has handed down for the crime, a local conservation group said on Wednesday. Vietnam is both a consumption hub and popular transit point for the multi-billion-dollar trade in animal parts. Authorities have long vowed to stem the flow of illegal wildlife crisis-crossing its borders, but experts have warned the black market persists thanks to weak law enforcement.
The 38-year-old poacher was sentenced to 19 years behind bars after a white rhinoceros was killed in Lower Sabie in 2014.
An official from the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism will appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on Monday 11 October after he was arrested in connection with illegal rhino horn trade. The official and the owner of a security company were arrested on Thursday afternoon in relation to alleged contraventions of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, the Rhino Norms and Standards, and contravention of permit conditions.
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SA_2021_10_Government official to appear in court for rhino horn trade_The South African.pdf | 393.38 KB |
A 34-year old policeman is recovering in hospital after he was shot and injured during a shootout with rhino poachers in Vredefort in the Free State on Tuesday night.
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SA_2021_09_Hero policeman shot in gun battle with rhino poachers_The SouthAfrican.pdf | 393.65 KB |
Some anti-poaching organizations are calling upon the justice system to strengthen punishment against those found guilty of rhino poaching and rhino horn trafficking. This comes after the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment recently released statistics indicating that rhino poaching incidents committed in the country within the first six months of the year have increased by 33% compared to last year, during the same period. Nature conservationists say the rhino is among the endangered species, not only in South Africa and the African continent but across the…
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SA_2021_08_Anti_poaching bodies call for stricter sentences for rhino poachers_SABC News.pdf | 1.58 MB |
At least 249 rhinos were killed in the first six months of this year in South Africa. The bulk of the killings happened at the Kruger National Park, where 132 rhinos were killed.