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.
Police in the Overberg region of the Western Cape confiscated abalone with an estimated street value of R2.4 million on Thursday night.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_09_Police seize abalone in the Western Cape worth about R2_4 million_The Citizen.pdf | 370.36 KB |
Customs officers of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized 32 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 160kg, at a cargo transit shed at the OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday, 17 July.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_07_Rhino horn weighing 160kg seized at OR Tambo_The Citizen.pdf | 630.93 KB |
Eight suspected abalone poachers were arrested close to Robben Island on Wednesday morning by Border Police stationed at Cape Town harbour According to a statement by the police, on Tuesday evening, law enforcement started with random vessel patrols in the bay and around Robben Island during a dark moon and calm sea conditions. The 920 shucked abalone seized had an estimated street value of R345 000.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_07_Suspected abalone poachers arrested near Robben Island_The Citizen.pdf | 3.71 MB |
Olivia the pangolin's alleged poachers will have to remain behind bars until June after their case was postponed.The pangolin pulled through the weekend and was in a stable condition after being rescued from three alleged poachers at a Shell garage on the N1 road in Midrand last Friday.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_05_Midrand pangolin poaching case delayed_The Citizen.pdf | 422.02 KB |
While it was initially thought that the Rhino may have been shot, the post mortem team established that the rhino died of natural causes (fighting).
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_05_SANParks takes legal action over sensationalised reports of dead rhino_The Citizen.pdf | 616.25 KB |
Three alleged pangolin poachers were bust red-handed and arrested when they tried to sell an animal to a "potential client" at a Shell garage on the N1 in Midrand on Friday. Olivia was the seventh pangolin rescued this year from poachers.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_05_PICS Alleged poachers caught trying to sell pangolin in Midrand_The Citizen.pdf | 808.19 KB |
A gruesome discovery by a group of tourists on a night-drive in Kruger National Park earlier this month has raised questions about how a rhino died. The tourists spotted a man emerging from bushes holding a horn dripping with blood, chopped from a critically-endangered Black rhino carcass, just 15m away. He and another man, dressed in what appeared to be a uniform, have subsequently been confirmed by SANParks to be employed by the park.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_05_SANParks criticised after tourists find employee_The Citizen.pdf | 952.94 KB |
Pangolin was the most trafficked high-value protected species according to the 2020 Annual Report on the Combatting of Wildlife Crime released last week. According to the report, only one pangolin of the 74 seized by the law enforcement agencies was alive while 129 of these nocturnal animals were poached in 2019. The report emphasised that law enforcement relating to pangolin poaching and trafficking represent a major challenge because the animals are largely collected opportunistically. However, transboundary intelligence collaboration has led to the…
The police at Otjiwarongo on Saturday arrested two male suspects after they were allegedly found in possession of a rhino horn without a permit at the Erindi game reserve. The weekend crime report of the Namibian Police Force said the men aged 33 and 60 were arrested during a police operation. The value of the rhino horn is still to be determined and the suspects were expected to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_03_Suspects found with rhino horn at Otjiwarongo_NBC.pdf | 296.18 KB |
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism reports that 14 cases of illegal possession of wildlife products as well as convictions were made between 25 of January to 28 February. Of the 14 cases, eight were for the possession of live pangolins, skins, scales and bones, demonstrating that this nocturnal animal is under serious threat. In Opuwo Tjihepo Tjondo was found guilty on 15 February for possession of one pangolin skin and was ned N$60 000 of which N$3 000 is suspended or six months imprisonment, suspended for three months.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_03_Police register eight cases of illegal possession of pangolin products in a month_NBC.pdf | 592.69 KB |
The 18-pieces haul, destined for Malaysia, was found concealed in traditional clothing. The Hawks have conscated a shipment of rhino horns worth more than R53 million at OR Tambo International Airpot on Thursday, destined for Malaysia. This after the customs unit of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) at the airport bust the rhino horn after the detector dog unit selected a suspicious shipment declared as "HP Cartridges Developers", according to the statement from Sars.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021-02_Sars busts R53 million worth of rhino horns at OR Tambo_The Citizen.pdf | 194.8 KB |
A 36-year-old man appeared at the Kempton Park Regional Court on Monday, 18 January, after being arrested for illegal dealing in rhino horns. Kelvin Chigwede - who was arrested on Saturday - was charged for illegal dealing in rhino horns and contravention of the National Environmental Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) according to Hawks’ spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021-01_Man appears in court for illegal dealing in rhino horns_The Citizen.pdf | 257.26 KB |
A 27-year-old man suspected to have been a poacher, died instantly in the early hours of Monday after he was allegedly shot in the chest on a game farm near Okakarara. The spokesperson of the Namibian Police Force in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Monday said the deceased has been identied as Claudius Hameva from Okakarara.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-12_Suspected poacher shot and killed on Farm Hamakari_NBC.pdf | 490.49 KB |
Namibian law enforcement arrested 121 suspected poachers in three months inside the Etosha National Park with the help of the newly-established anti-poaching K9 unit, the police have said on Wednesday.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-11_K9 unit highlights major success in anti-poaching drive_NBC.pdf | 713.56 KB |
Three SA National Parks (SANParks) employees, among them two security guards, have been arrested in possession of fresh rhino horns outside the gates of the Kruger National Park. SANParks said the third person arrested is in technical services.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2020-10_SANParks employees arrested with rhino horns outside gates of Kruger Park_The Citizen.pdf | 222.89 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-08_Rhino poaching accused at Grootfontein remanded in custody_NBC.pdf | 323.75 KB |
Considering the amount of effort and funds that go into arresting a suspected poacher, and seeing court proceedings through, cases such as this take a signicant toll on the people involved in seeking justice.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
The Citizen_2020-08_Light sentences for poachers take toll on anti_poaching rangers_The Citizen.pdf | 201.88 KB |
In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic and strict government-imposed lockdown have led to an unexpected consequence: a major decline in rhino poaching. More than 80% of African rhinos remaining in the world are in South Africa, making it the hotspot for rhino poaching. The number of rhinos killed for their horns has been slowly declining over recent years, but the pandemic and lockdown have quelled rhino poaching even more.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2020-07_Rhino poaching in South Africa declines during coronavirus lockdown_Pri_Org.pdf | 479.45 KB |
The arrests were carried out by the Malmesbury Stock Theft Unit, Vredendal Crime Intelligence and members of the Cape Nature Reserve.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2020-05_Four caught in possession of a rhino horn and protected plants_The Citizen.pdf | 653.23 KB |
Police say a tip-off led to the arrest of the suspect who was allegedly trying to sell the pangolin in the Musina CBD.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2020-05_Suspect arrested for selling dead pangolin in Limpopo_The Citizen.pdf | 394.21 KB |
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in partnership with the US Department of State, conducted a successful Wildlife Trafficking Cybercrime Training Programme (WTCP) in Windhoek, Namibia.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-02 Nampol officers trained in cybercrime_wildlife trafficking_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 345.34 KB |
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in partnership with the US Department of State, conducted a successful Wildlife Trafficking Cybercrime Training Programme (WTCP) in Windhoek, Namibia. The purpose of the training, which took place during January 27-31, 2020, was to strengthen global law enforcement relationships through the sharing of information related to the collection-preservation-examinationinvestigation of digital evidence in order to enhance the ability to combat worldwide illegal wildlife trafficking.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-02_Nampol officers trained in cybercrime_wildlife trafficking_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 307.59 KB |
Environmentalists and conservation groups have expressed their dismay over the decision by the Windhoek High Court to fine two ivory smugglers only N$20,000, saying such a slap on the wrist defeats Government’s efforts to curb poaching.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2017-08_Outrage over N20 000 ivory smuggling fine_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 302.69 KB |