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The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has reported a distressing surge in rhino poaching incidents, with 28 rhinos poached in the country so far this year. Of particular concern is the discovery of 19 poached rhinos within the iconic Etosha National Park, 10 found during dehorning operations throughout March. Ministerial spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement. Muyunda said the recent spate of poaching threatens not only the rhino population but also the integrity of this vital tourism attraction.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has sounded the alarm on the rapid decline of wildlife habitats due to deforestation and industrial emissions, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and hindering efforts to sustainably manage natural resources. In a statement released over the weekend to mark World Wildlife Day, Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the ministry, highlighted the urgent need to confront the challenges confronting local wildlife.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism in Namibia delivered a stark message on World Pangolin Day, shedding light on the alarming rise in illegal trafficking and poaching activities targeting pangolins. Teofilus Nghitila, the Ministerial Executive Director, expressed deep concern over the ongoing illegal capture of pangolins, highlighting them as the most trafficked mammals since 2014. "Unfortunately, this relentless exploitation has led to a steep decline in their population, pushing them perilously close to extinction," he emphasized.

The anti-poaching drive was strengthened with the recent launch of two Rhino Management plans and a horse patrol unit last week at the Etosha National Park on Friday. Speaking at the commemoration of World Rhino Day, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), Pohamba Shifeta said the day is dedicated to raising awareness about the threats that the rhino population is facing and how the world can come together and protect these endangered species.

Two accused persons have appeared in court following their arrest by detectives for allegedly trying to unlawfully dispose off an elephant hide for US$1,500.

Illegal wire snares are becoming more common in Etosha National Park, causing concern for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism. A total of 62 active wire snares were retrieved in the area around Okaukuejo, in the îagship Etosha National Park, over three days, according to spokesperson Romeo Muyunda on Tuesday.

Eight suspects were netted over the long easter weekend for crime related to rhino poaching in two separate incidences, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism announced on Thursday.

Police has arrested three men for illegal possession of seven leopard skins in Victoria Falls.

A member of a poaching syndicate has appeared in court for allegedly gunning down a bull elephant valued at US$50 000.

In a poaching update of high-value species, namely elephants and rhinos, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) spokesperson Romeo Muyunda revealed that the elephant poaching cases have dropped from 101 recorded in 2015, to 50 in 2017, 27 in 2018, 13 in 2019, 12 in 2020, 10 in 2021 and only four in 2022. The four poached elephants in 2022 include two in the Zambezi Region, one in the Kavango West Region, and one in the Kunene Region, according to Muyunda. "We hope that these figures will continue to descend until we reach the zero-poaching target.

Zimbabwe recorded a decline in wildlife poaching last year as the nation’s anti-poaching activities continued to bear fruit, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said Monday. A total of 36 key wildlife animals were poached in 2022, down from 42 in 2021, Tinashe Farawo said. Out of the 42 wild animals killed in 2021, 31 were elephants while rhinos totaled 11, including six white rhinos and five black ones, he said. Out of the 36 wild animals poached last year, 25 were elephants, seven rhinos and four lions, he said.

The first case of rhino poaching this year was recorded in an incident where a suspected poacher was killed on Saturday, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda confirmed this week. It is alleged that three male suspects hunted a rhino at farm Okarakua, Windhoek district, in which one suspect was shot and killed by the anti-poaching members and another male suspect, aged 27 was arrested, while the third one is still at large, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security’s weekend serious crime report stated.

Muyunda said even though Namibia continues to record successes in the fight against wildlife crime, poaching of highly valued species remains a concern. In 2022 to date, Namibia recorded 63 rhinos poached cases in the country consisting of 41 black rhinos and 22 white rhinos. "This year’s poaching cases include 15 rhinos poached on custodianship farms, another 22 on private farms, and 26 in the Etosha National Park.

A total of 55 rhinos have been poached to date this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) said Wednesday, adding that the current statistics are deeply concerning. This is compared to a figure of 44 rhinos in 2021, however, 36 people have been arrested for rhino-related cases this year, compared to 80 in 2021, the MEFT Minister Pohamba Shifeta highlighted on the occasion of the handover of 10 vehicles, park management and law enforcement equipment funded by the Integrated National Park Management II (NamParks V and Covid-19 Fund) and Integrated…

South Africa: Six Zimbabwean nationals have been found guilty in the Makhanda High Court of conspiracy to commit rhino poaching and illegal possession of firearms. They’ll be back in court on the 4th of November for the start of sentencing proceedings. The court heard previously that information uncovered relating to the crimes of the accused dates back to before their arrest in 2018. It included the tracking of their cellphones which was later linked to rhino poaching incidents at Kragga Kamma and Shamwari Game Reserves.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) last week on Friday received equipment and vehicles to assist in the fight against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade as the country continues to battle with a surge in cases. The donation from the U.S. government which included two Toyota Landcruiser and two Hyundai Game Viewer Trucks as well as anti-poaching equipment all valued at N$9 million Namibia dollars was handed over to the MEFT officials by a senior leader delegation from the U.S. Africa Command.

The first eight months of 2022 saw 48 rhinos poached, four times more than the rhinos poached in 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced on Wednesday. The country recorded 44 rhinos poached in 2021, 42 in 2020, 57 in 2019, 83 in 2018, and 55 in 2017. The Etosha National Park alone saw 20 cases this year, with two carcasses discovered in the area just last week. In total, 32 poached rhinos are black and 16 are white. A total of 12 black rhinos were poached on custodianship farms and 16 white rhinos were poached on private farms.

Rhino poachers have shifted focus from national parks to custodianship and private farms with both black and white rhinos being the target, Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism spokesperson (MEFT) Romeo Muyunda said this week. According to MEFT, 33 rhinos poached have been poached so far this year, of which 24 are black rhinos and nine are white rhinos.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) recently announced the confiscation of 75 wood planks that are believed to have been illegally harvested in the Kavango region area after a tip-off from the public, an official said this week. All harvesting of trees and wood, anywhere in Namibia, is governed by the Forest Act and its Regulations. "The planks are believed to have been illegally harvested from farms that are in Ncamagoro in the Kavango West Region," MEFT spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.

A national report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement released recently said that Namibia has inadequate data about the Temminck's ground pangolin's distribution, density, and the impact poaching has on the population. The Temminck ground pangolin is one of the four species found in Africa and the only species in southern Africa. According to the report, only discovered carcasses of pangolins give a relative indication of the extent of poaching. Still, it is not known how many occur in Namibia nor how many are successfully trafficked out of the country.

The Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) recently announced a long-term landmark partnership focused on better comprehending the current state of knowledge about the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), and the economics of IWT in southern Africa.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has confirmed that it has moved to make security adjustments and to close any loopholes in Etosha National Park to ensure that wildlife crimes, poaching incidences, in particular, do not occur again.

Two alleged rhino poachers in connection with the 11 rhinos poached in Etosha National park have been apprehended, an official said this week. The ongoing police operation at Etosha National Park led to the arrest of two rhino poachers on Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said, adding that investigations are at an advanced stage.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) on Tuesday confirmed that with an ongoing operation in Etosha National Park, 11 rhino carcasses from the beginning of June to date have been discovered. MEFT spokesperson Romeo Muyunda in a statement said all the 11 were found without horns and they were black rhinos. "Investigations indicate that the carcasses range between 3 weeks and older. This is regrettable and a strong indication that the fight against poaching is not over," he added.

A 16-year old Beitbridge boy has been arrested and is due to appear in court after he was caught in possession of snares and game meat. The boy was arrested together with one Freeman Moyo (38), and the two are being charged for contravening section 5 of Trapping of Animals Control Act.

Three Harare men appeared in court charged with illegal possession of ivory after they were caught with 37kgs of elephant tasks.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) recently held 1500 planks of unprocessed timber in Windhoek intended for export to South Africa, an official said Wednesday. The timber was confiscated and the transport permit was temporarily suspended pending further investigations to establish where the timber came from and if it was legally acquired during the weekend of 08 to 10 April, MEFT spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.

Wildlife crimes remain a severe threat to the economy and biodiversity as well as to local livelihoods, the recently released Second National Integrated State of the Environment Report for Namibia showed. According to the report, a large number of wildlife crime cases are related to poaching for meat while rhinos currently represent the most valuable and sought after wildlife crime target. "Between 2018 and 2019, there has been an increase in registered wildlife cases related to high-value species growing from 115 to 174 cases.

Johannesburg: The Secunda regional court has sentenced a Zimbabwean national who was found in possession of a live pangolin to a 10-year jail term.

Citizens have been urged to join hands with the government to reverse the current trends of poaching, an official said as the country joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Wildlife Life Day on Thursday. The theme for commemorating World Wildlife Day 22 is which seeks to draw attention to the conservation status of some of the critically endangered species of fauna and flora.

A carcass of a white rhinoceros shot dead by poachers has been discovered in Bikita, Masvingo province, as wildlife poaching escalates in the country. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the discovery of the endangered animal's carcass made last Sunday.

A total of 320 cases of crimes involving pangolins have been recorded in the last five years since 2017, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement when the country celebrated World Pangolin Day over the past weekend. Muyunda said the figures include 43 in 2017; 62 in 2018; 96 in 2019; 59 in 2020 and 60 in 2021.

Airlink, the privately owned Southern African regional airline, will implement a company-wide programme involving training, new processes and supply chain interventions to identify and combat illicit wildlife trade. The illegal wildlife trade is valued between USD $50 to 150 billion (approximately between ZAR730 billion - ZAR 2,19 trillion at current exchange rates) per year and is one of the five most lucrative global crimes. Illegal killing and trading of wild animals is a global crisis, with species being hunted to extinction for their horns, skins and teeth.

Poaching incidents in the country continues to decline, with only 14 rhinos and 5 elephants having been killed so far this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism indicated this week. According to statistics from the ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said, seven white rhinos plus one black rhino were poached from private farms, while six black rhinos were poached from the Etosha National Park. The five elephants poached were from the Zambezi, Kavango East and Otjozondjupa regions, Muyunda added.

A Zimbabwean man, who managed to get his lover off the hook after the pair was caught with two elephant tusks, has been jailed for two years in Botswana.

Investigations by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) have revealed Zimbabwe is now a major transit route for smuggling of valuable but critically endangered shell fish, abalone, to China and other countries.

Polics in Kwekwe have confirmed the arrest of a 31-year-old man who allegedly stashed a two-metre long rock python in his vehicle.

A Zimbabwean man, charged together with his girlfriend for unlawful possession of elephant tusks, has saved his co-accused from further legal woes after telling the court she knew nothing of the ivory.

The latest wildlife crime statistics indicate that four rhinos and one elephant have been poached to date, as law enforcement operations continue to bag perpetrators, an official said this week. From the beginning of June, law enforcement agencies have made significant arrests of wildlife criminals involving products of high valued species across the country, the Ministry of Environment spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in an update.

Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in poaching cases with only two rhinos poached so far this year compared to 13 poaching cases recorded at the same period last year, the Ministryof Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said this week.

A Karoi magistrate has cleared two Karoi villagers for charges of unlawful possession of raw ivory valued at US$1 467,10. Whynos Dzotso (23) and Knowledge Nyamukondiwa (25) who both reside under Chief Kazangarare, Karoi were this Tuesday acquitted by Magistrate Felix Chauromwe who made the ruling following the defence's application for discharge at the close of the state case.

A Dete man has been arrested after being found with seven elephant tusks. ZimParks rangers ambushed Delight Moyo of Dopota village after getting a tip-off by a ranger Phinos Mudenda that some people were in possession of ivory.

Namibians continue to make up over 90% of arrested wildlife crime suspects in the country, according to the Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report 2020 released last week. According to the report, although wildlife crime is ultimately driven by demand in consumer countries, locals seem to be the bulk of the arrests.

TWO Karoi villagers have been dragged to court for illegal possession of an elephant tusk valued at US$1 467,10.

"In 2020, we recorded a total of 31 rhinos poached compared to 52 in 2019, 81 in 2018, 55 in 2017, 66 in 2016 and 97 in 2015," Shifeta said. The minister added that by the same token, Namibia recorded a total of 11 elephants poached in 2020, 13 in 2019, 27 in 2018, 50 in 2017, 101 in 2016 and 49 in 2015. As for pangolin, eight live animals have been seized in 2020 as well as five full carcasses, 59 skins, five skin pieces and 924 scales, he added.

Police in Bulawayo have arrested a 62-year-old man who was found in possession of a zebra skin and tail. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said Jabulani Sifelani, who is from the city's Nguboyenja high density suburb, was arrested in North End on Tuesday afternoon following a tip-off from members of the public.

Police in Bulawayo last week arrested three men after they were found in possession of five pieces of ivory.

Mutare: A local man together with a Zimbabwe National Army officer were arrested by police detectives from the Minerals Flora and Fauna unit after being found in possession of two live pangolins.

The government is in the process of establishing a special operations unit that will include the use of horses to help curb poaching, an ocial said this week. According to Manie le Roux, who coordinates the K9 unit at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the mounted unit, which will have 12 horses and 14 members, will work together with the canine unit. "Anti-poaching efforts need a combination of support," he said. "We want to add horses patrol to the air, vehicle and dog patrols."

The Thirty Namibia Dollar banknote that was issued by the Bank of Namibia during the lockdown to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Independence, has proven so popular with collectors that a recent auction of only a few notes garnered proceeds of N$480,000.