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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 23 of 23
Saturday, 17 February 2024
Moser K 2024. Namibia warns of rising pangolin trafficking on World Pangolin Day.
Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism issued a warning on World Pangolin Day, exposing the extent of illegal trafficking and poaching activities targeting pangolins.
Sunday, 31 December 2023
2023. Botswana, Namibia launch joint elephant poaching investigation: official.

Botswana and Namibia have embarked on a joint investigation into the increased incidents of elephant poaching in the northern part of Botswana. "The country (Botswana) experienced a surge in elephant poaching incidents during November and December 2023," Lesego Kgomanyane, the spokesperson for Botswana's Ministry of Environment and Tourism, told Xinhua over the telephone, noting that the development has shone the light on the apparent increase in poaching of elephants in northern Botswana.

Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Motlhabane C 2023. Pangolin pain.

Caught with a mother pangolin and its child in his home village near Nata on 19 November 2022, 33-year-old Othusitse Baile will forgo his freedom for the next four years.

Monday, 2 October 2023
2023. How illegal wildlife, trade traffickers escape justice in Nigeria.

The three were arrested in Lagos in July 2021 following the interception by Nigerian Customs agents of 196 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 7,137.40kg, one sack of pangolin claws weighing 4.60kg and 29 sacks of elephant tusks weighing 870.4kg.

Tuesday, 12 September 2023
2023. Illegal wildlife trade fuels poaching  - Segokgo.

Pangolin poaching for enhanced sexual pleasure on the increase. The Commander of Botswana Defence Force, Lieutenant General Placid Segokgo, has warned that poaching will continue to be part of our lives for as long as some countries in Asia cling to their beliefs that some organs of wild animals give them sexual powers. Addressing journalists at a recent press briefing, Segokgo said, “There are some people in the East who believe that consuming or applying samples of organs such as horns, teeth, or even skins enhance their sexual…

Wednesday, 2 August 2023
Motlhabane C 2023. Duo nabbed in possession of a pangolin.

Two Zimbabwean men have been remanded in custody after they were found in possession of a live pangolin.

Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Mmana FB 2023. NWDC chairman in poaching charges.

Nearly three years ago, North West District Council Chairman, Kebareeditse Ntsogotho was badly injured during an encounter with a buffalo just outside his home village, Khwai. Last week he, along with six other men from his village- including Deputy Chairman of Khwai Development Trust, Paul Mothathobi were summoned before Maun magistrates court charged with poaching.

Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Moemedi C 2022. Fight against poachers intensifies.

Speaking during the handover event DWNP Director, Kabelo Senyatso revealed that the drone has greatly improved their capabilities in the fight against rhino poaching.

Thursday, 1 September 2022
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.

Thursday, 4 August 2022
2022. Nigeria Customs intercepts 397kg of pangolin scales, arrests 8 suspects.

The Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), has intercepted 397.5 Kilogramme of pangolin scales and arrested 8 suspects in connection with the seizure.

Friday, 19 November 2021
Motlhabane C 2021. Illegal ivory dealer jailed for two years.

A sense of remorse and a convincing mitigation statement have saved a convicted ivory dealer from a lengthy jail term as he got off lightly with a reduced sentence. Poul Garirayi would have been condemned to a mandatory 10-year maximum jail term and a hefty fine for the elephant tusks valued at P10 233.22 that he was found in possession of.

Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Moemedi C 2021. Man acquitted of illegal possession of elephant tusks.

A 37-year-old man of Toteng village was on Friday last week acquitted and discharged of unlawful possession of elephant tusks. It was alleged that on August 20th, Kangootui Kangootui was found in possession of two elephant tusks weighing 16.8kg valued at P27,513.55 wrapped in old blankets along Kunyere River. According Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi, the state has failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Motlhabane C 2021. 'Big-hearted' boyfriend jailed in elephant tusk takedown.

A big-hearted boyfriend who managed to get his lover off the hook after the pair were caught with two elephant tusks has been taken to task over the matter and jailed for two years. Zimbabwean native, Brian Ndlovu admitted to being in possession of the ivory, claiming he had been given the tusks by another man with the instruction to sell them. He was busted when police received a tip-off of a man trying to sell tusks at Tonota lands. Swooping into action on 22 January, the cops pounced to find Ndlovu in the presence of his girlfriend and home-girl, Mary Sibanda.

Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Motlhabane C 2021. Busted in the bush.

A man caught with a single elephant tusk during an unexpected run-in with the police in the bush two years ago will learn his fate next Thursday. Although he tried to hide the offending item beneath his jacket during his unplanned encounter with the cops, the big bulge gave Gaosego Emang Seipato away. The 35-year-old met his downfall on 3 May 2019, when he was rumbled by a police patrol who were actually on the lookout for illegal gold miners in the bushes between Matshelagabedi and BDF training centre on the outskirts of Francistown.

Tuesday, 10 August 2021
2021. One poacher killed in Botswana.

One poacher was killed in an anti-poaching incident in Ditshiping village, Okavango Delta, Botswana Defense Force (BDF) said Tuesday.

Monday, 2 August 2021
2021. Interview: Namibia eager to partner with China on wildlife cooperation.

Namibia is eager to partner with China on wildlife cooperation, the African country's environment minister said during an interview with Xinhua. Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta said that China has been a supporter of Namibia's conservation programs, adding that he had discussed others areas of cooperation with his counterparts during a trip to China. "Namibia-China cooperation is very cordial and a genuine one, especially when it comes to conservation programs and also environmental programs.

Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Mmana FB 2021. Council chairman charged with poaching.

North West District council chairperson, Kebareeditse Ntsogotho is set to appear before Maun magistrate court next week Friday to face poaching charges. "It is true, they are taking me to court," Ntsogotho confirmed briefly in a matter regarding his encounter with a buffalo on the outskirts of his home village, Khwai in May 2020 that left him badly injured and permanently scarred. Although the chairman had insisted that he was attacked while trying to help some of his community members escape the marauding animal, the police treated the case as a poaching incident.

Monday, 17 May 2021
2021. Namibia records drop in poaching cases.

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, Environment Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said on Monday.

Monday, 3 May 2021
Dall N 2021. Succulent smuggling: why are South Africa's rare desert plants vanishing?.

Despite being 20 times smaller and having much lower rainfall, Richtersveld has more plant species than the country's famous Kruger national park. It is, says Van Wyk, "the most important succulent laboratory in the world". But it is this variety of rare succulents that draws the poachers. Many Richtersveld species are so specialised that they grow only in one valley or on one mountain slope. In extreme cases an entire species can be confined to an area smaller than a football pitch, so a poacher could render a species extinct in a morning.

Thursday, 22 October 2020
2020. Namibia drastically reduces poaching cases: minister.

Namibia has drastically cut down on the number of rhino poaching cases in the past year despite the country still battling the problem, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta told Parliament on Wednesday.

Thursday, 28 May 2020
2020. Two poachers shot dead in Botswana.

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) has reported death of two poachers killed in an anti-poaching incident in the Okavango Delta, bringing the number of poachers killed in the Southern Africa country to seven this year.

Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Mmana FB 2020. Was it poaching or self defence?.

North West District Council Chairperson, Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho is likely to face a poaching charge after being discharged from hospital, The Voice has learnt. Ntsogotlho was recently attacked and injured by a buffalo in his home area, Khwai during an alleged incident of illegal hunting and killing of a protected wild animal. He is currently nursing thigh wounds at Nyangabwe referral hospital in Francistown.

Thursday, 13 February 2020
2020. Namibia launches conservation fund to tackle human-wildlife conict .

Namibia launched an initiative that will contribute to the collective efforts of conserving the environment as well as the conservancies and communities in the rural areas at an event held in Windhoek on Thursday.

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