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.
Four suspected poachers have been arrested after being found in possession of elephant tusks worth nearly US$3 000.
Namibia has lost nine rhinos to poaching in various national parks this year, according to the environment ministry. The statistics show three black, and six white rhinos were poached this year alone. The three black rhinos were killed in the Etosha National Park, while six rhinos were poached for their horns at private-owned white rhino reserves. Environment spokesperson Romeo Muyunda also issued national elephant poaching statistics per year from 2014 to 2021.
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NAM_2021_07_Nine rhinos poached in 2021_New Era Live.pdf | 408.64 KB |
This year to date only four elephants have been poached in comparison to the 12 elephants that were poached last year. In 2014, when poaching started to increase in Namibia, 78 elephants were killed, peaking at 101 poached elephants in 2016.
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NAM_2021_07_Poaching numbers drop_Namibian Sun.pdf | 345.95 KB |
Environment Ministry press secretary Romeo Muyunda announced the latest rhino and ivory poaching figures yesterday. According to this, the safety of the animals has improved somewhat over the past few years.
Hoewel niemand nog in hegtenis geneem is in verband met die vier olifante wat vanjaar in Namibië gestroop is nie, toon Namibië oor die afgelope agt jaar 'n sterk afname in die stroping van dié bosreuse. Volgens syfers wat deur die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme bygehou word, blyk dit dat olifantstropery jaarliks verminder. Terwyl daar in 2016 tot bykans 101 olifante gestroop is, was dit in 2019 en 2020 onderskeidelik net 13 en 12 olifante.
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NAM_2021_07_Stryd teen olifantstropery werp vrugte af_Republikein.pdf | 337.07 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Fight against elephant poaching bears fruit_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 336.34 KB |
Rhino and elephant poaching has declined significantly this year in Namibia, home to the only free-roaming black rhinos left in the world, government data showed on Monday. Nine rhinos have been illegally killed by hunters so far in 2021, the lowest number in eight years for the period, according to the figures from the ministry of environment and tourism. Four elephants have been killed this way, a five-year low
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NAM_2021-07_Rhino and elephant poaching declines in Namibia-KFGO.pdf | 262.03 KB |
Twee mense is op Katima Mulilo en Kahenge met altesaam sewe olifanttande in hul besit betrap, terwyl nog twee mense gevang is toe hulle onderskeidelik luislangvelle en krokodilvelle van die hand wou sit.
Two people were caught on Katima Mulilo and Kahenge with a total of seven elephant tusks in their possession, while two more people were caught trying to dispose of python skins and crocodile skins respectively.
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NAM_2021-07_Stropers met sewe olifanttande gearresteer_Republikein.pdf | 177.53 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Poachers arrested with seven elephant tusks_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 176.34 KB |
The Quissama National Park, in Luanda province, has been the preferred area for the practice of poaching of various species there, informed, on Wednesday, the coordinator of the Project to Combat the Illegal Trade of Wildlife and Human Conflict and Wildlife in Angola.
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ANG_2021_07_Quissama Park tops list of poaching cases_Jornal de Angola.pdf | 181.53 KB |
A plot by a jealous Guruve man to get his ex-wife and her boyfriend imprisoned by planting ivory on her hit a snag after he was arrested for possession of ivory.
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ZIM_2021_07_Jealous man plants ivory in ex_wifes toilet_News Day.pdf | 161.36 KB |
At Sangwali, a Namibian was arrested on 6 July for being in possession of one impala carcass. Oscar Munyandi was charged with illegal hunting of special protected species. In another matter, a Namibian, Simuna Kankona, was arrested on 12 July with two python skins, and charged for the illegal possession and dealing of controlled wildlife products. On 13 July, Mathews Hamusira, a Namibian citizen, was arrested at Rundu for being in possession of a pangolin skin.
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NAM_2021_07_10 more arrested for wildlife crimes in July_Namibian Sun.pdf | 72.29 KB |
Eight suspects were arrested in connection with six wildlife crime cases in the past week. According to the Ministry of Environment's wildlife crime statistics, 13 wildlife products were confiscated. On July 12, a Namibian with two python skins was arrested. The following day, a Namibian national was arrested in Rundu for being in possession of a pangolin armor. A Zambian national with four tusks was also arrested in Katima Mulilo on July 15. On the same day, a man with three tusks was arrested in Kahenge, as well as a Namibian in Outjo, because he was in possession of an oryx…
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NAM_2021_07_Acht Festnahmen in einer Woche_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 418.95 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Eight arrests in a week_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 419.84 KB |
Two unemployed Harare men appeared in court last week for illegal possession of ivory.
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ZIM_2021_07_2 nabbed for illegal possession of ivory_NewsDay.pdf | 346.58 KB |
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Kajiado has recovered four pieces of elephant tusks hidden in a bush in Torosei area, Kajiado Central. Weighing 14 kilograms and estimated at a street value of Ksh 1.4 million, the ivory was discovered by locals who informed their area Chief. KWS County Warden Vincent Ongwae said the ivory is suspected to have been sneaked into the country through the border, as there had been no reported cases of elephants killed in the recent past.
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KEN_2021_07_Ivory worth Ksh1_4M recovered in Kajiado County_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 609.78 KB |
Op 20 Junie is 'n Namibiër op Rundu in hegtenis geneem toe 'n ietermagovel in sy besit gevind is. By die Etosha Nasionale Park se King Nehale-hek is twee Namibiërs op 21 Junie in hegtenis geneem omdat hulle onwettig in die besit van 'n elandkarkas was. In 'n ander voorval by Omahenene is 'n Angolese burger en 'n Namibiër op 22 Junie in hegtenis geneem toe hulle met 22 ietermagovelle betrap is terwyl daar op 'n handwapen sowel as vyf rondes ammunisie beslag gelê is. Intussen is nog 'n Namibiër op 24 Junie op Oshakati in hegtenis geneem nadat hy met drie olifanttande…
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NAM_2021_07_Nege verdagtes weens wildmisdaad vasgetrek_Republikein.pdf | 379.27 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Nine suspects arrested for game crime_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 283.64 KB |
Am 20. Juni wurde ein Namibier in Rundu verhaftet, weil er im Besitz eines Schuppentierpanzers war. Am König-Nehale-Tor des Etosha-Nationalparks wurden am 21. Juni zwei Namibier wegen illegalen Besitzes eines Elenantilopen-Kadavers verhaftet. Bei einem weiteren Vorfall beim Grenzkontrollposten Omahenene wurden am 22. Juni ein angolanischer Staatsbürger und ein Namibier mit 22 Schuppentierpanzern verhaftet, während ein Revolver sowie fünf Schuss scharfe Munition beschlagnahmt wurden. In der Zwischenzeit wurde in Oshakati am 24.
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NAM_2021_07_Wildtierprodukte beschlagnahmt_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 241.56 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Wildlife products confiscated_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 241.91 KB |
On 20 June, a Namibian was arrested at Rundu for being in the possession of a pangolin skin. At Etosha National Park's King Nehale gate, two Namibians were arrested on 21 June for illegally being in the possession of an eland carcass. In another incident at Omahenene, an Angolan national and a Namibian were arrested on 22 June with 22 pangolin skins, while a revolver pistol as well as five rounds of live ammunition were confiscated.
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NAM_2021_07_Nine arrested with 28 illegal wildlife products_Namibian Sun.pdf | 294.45 KB |
Two men from Bulawayo appeared in court for possessing about 16kg of ivory without a licence.
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ZIM_2021_07_Two men found in possession of Ivory_The Chronicle.pdf | 366.48 KB |
A Bulawayo man, who was arrested together with two other men for illegally dealing in ivory, has shifted the blame to his co-accused, claiming the tusks belonged to the duo.
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NAM_2021_07_Ivory suspect shifts blame to co_accused_DailyNews.pdf | 314.34 KB |
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), most of the poachers come from poor communities and are just looking for food. Such ones use snares, wire traps, poisoned watermelons or nails to catch elephants, and spears as weapons to kill the trapped animals.
In Namibia ging die Zahl der Wildtierverbrechen im vergangenen Jahr laut dem Umweltministerium leicht zurück. Dennoch bleibt dies weltweit ein Problem mit schwerwiegenden finanziellen Konsequenzen, so der jährliche Bericht des Internationalen Konsortiums zur Bekämpfung der Wildtierkriminalität (ICCWC).
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NAM_2021_07_Leichter Ruckgang_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 363.81 KB |
NAM_2021_07_Slight decrease_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 361.48 KB |
Four men were each jailed for nine years after they were convicted of illegally possessing raw ivory which they intended to trade in Harare sometime last year.
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ZIM_2021_07_Ivory deal earns quartet lengthy jail terms_The Herald.pdf | 346.97 KB |
Three men from Lupane appeared in court for possessing about 6kg of ivory without a licence.
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ZIM_2021_07_Trio in court for ivory possession_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 606.14 KB |
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.
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ZIM_2021_06_Zim Man_lover arrested in Botswana for illegal ivory possession_New Zimbabwe.pdf | 447.53 KB |
Once known as the world's elephant killing fields, Tanzania appears to have halted the worst ivory poaching within its borders, making more than 2,300 arrests of poachers and traffickers over five years.
One of the world's most infamous ivory traffickers will remain in prison in Tanzania after an appeal judge sent her case back to a lower court. The high court accepted there were anomalies in the original written judgment against Yang Fenglan, but declined her attorney's application for her release. Between 2009 and 2014, poachers reduced Tanzania’s elephant population by 60%, according to a government census. In response, Tanzania developed a strategy of intelligence-led investigations.
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TAN_2021_06_Tanzanias Ivory Queen denied release after appeal_Mongaby.pdf | 471.78 KB |
Johannesburg - A man in the North West has on Thursday been sentenced to eight years for keeping elephant ivory worth over R1 million in his house. Moabi Moribe has been on the run since 2018.
The killing of two elephants in Kalacha this week has once again shone the spotlight on rampant poaching in Marsabit County, which is threatening to wipe out wildlife in the region. Authorities recovered two rifles and four rounds of ammunition in a security operation following the incident. County Police Commander Martin Kibet said a bullet obtained from one of the carcasses would be subjected to ballistic testing. The two elephants were killed when they strayed from Marsabit Forest via Hurri Hills into Kalacha. A third elephant was rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)…
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KEN_2021_06_Stop Killing the Elephants_ Worry As Rampant Poaching Threatens Wildlife_allAfrica_com.pdf | 140.21 KB |
The Mozambican police in Maputo arrested two men in possession of 11 elephant tusks suspected to be intended for illegal ivory trafficking, the police announced on Tuesday. The two Mozambicans were arrested at their home, where they were keeping the tusks. The National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) action was triggered after a complaint from the public.
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MOZ_2021_06_ Police arrest two men with 11 elephant tusks_Macau Business.pdf | 110.37 KB |
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.
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NAM_2021_06_Significant arrests of wildlife crime perpetrators continues_Namibia Economist.pdf | 688.48 KB |
Two Mbire men have appeared at the Guruve Magistrates Court after being arrested in possession of 34kg of ivory and looking for a buyer.
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ZIM_2021_06_Guruve duo nabbed for ivory possession_The Herald.pdf | 374.16 KB |
Among the items seized from the suspects are four elephant tusks, two rhino horns, one live pangolin, a giraffe skin and a pangolin skin.
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NAM_2021_06_Police_military officers arrested over wildlife crime_The Namibian.pdf | 431.01 KB |
Currently going for about $3,300 (about R46 000) per pound, the global trade in ivory is worth about $23 billion annually, a reality made plain by the gruesome photos of butchered elephants that have become almost commonplace. In recent years, massive seizures of ivory seemed to signal a headlong rush toward extermination. In response, the EU this year proposed a near total ban on the trade of ivory anywhere in the bloc.
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SA_2021_06_Closing ivory loopholes to save Africas greatest mammal_IOL.pdf | 70.13 KB |
Two more poachers, caught on South African soil, were sentenced today after they killed an elephant in November 2018 in the Skukuza National Park.
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SA_2021_06_Skukuza Poachers Get 8 Years Imprisonment_SAPeople.pdf | 392.17 KB |
The two men who were allegedly found with a freshly removed elephant tusk in their possession at Gam in the Tsumkwe Constituency Saturday night, were on Monday remanded in police custody at Tsumkwe. The 23-year-old Karuhava Kahaka and Vekotokeraije Keharara, 38, appeared in the Tsumkwe Periodical Court on Monday on charges of dealing in and/or possession of a prohibited game product.
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NAM_2021-06_Two remanded in custody for alleged possession of elephant tusk_Namibia News Digest.pdf | 59.95 KB |
Out of the 39 court hearings on wildlife crimes during May, only two cases were finalised, with two suspects found guilty. At Katutura, 29-year-old Kavijenene Kaemui was found guilty for the illegal possession of a pangolin skin on 17 May and sentenced to a fine of N$10 000 (N$4 000 suspended) or 24 months in prison (12 months suspended). In another matter at Kamanjab, Josef Selvarius Karunga (38) was arrested on 28 September 2020 for the illegal possession of a python.
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NAM_2021-06_39 court hearings on wildlife crime_Namibian Sun.pdf | 297.03 KB |
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentences handed to two Mozambique nationals found guilty for poaching related offences by the Malamulele Regional Court. Enock Sibanda(31) and Eckson Shirinda (28) were arrested by Kruger National Park rangers on 14 November 2018 and were each sentenced to eight year’s imprisonment, said Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the Regional Spokesperson of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Limpopo.
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SA_2021-05_Kruger Park elephant poachers jailed by Limpopo court_Review.pdf | 2.2 MB |
A freshly removed elephant tusk was on Saturday night seized from two men who allegedly tried to sell it to an undercover police officer at Gam settlement in the Tsumkwe Constituency.
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NAM_2021_05_Elephant tusk seized from two suspected dealers at Gam_Namibia News Digest.pdf | 49.43 KB |
Two Harare man have appeared in court after they were caught in possession of 22,88 kilogrammes of ivory worth $326 726 without a licence.
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ZIM_2021_05_Pair in court for possessing ivory_The Herald.pdf | 478.4 KB |
New evidence supplied by the US government links two Kenyans implicated in Sh570 million ivory smuggling to notorious Liberian poacher and ivory trafficker Moazu Kromar. Documents filed in a Mombasa court claim Kenyan businessman Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh alias Said Juma Said and his son Sheikh Mahmoud Abdulrahman received instructions from Mr Kromar to facilitate ivory smuggling. The Liberian poacher was extradited to the US in 2019, where he is facing ivory-trafficking charges. Mr Mahmoud, his son and six other Kenyans are facing ivory smuggling charges in Mombasa.
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KEN_2021_05_Nine Kenyan Suspects Linked to Notorious Liberian Ivory Smuggler_allAfrica_com.pdf | 112.74 KB |
The National Police in Huila arrested last weekend a Vietnamese national suspected of trafficking ivory, having been caught with 20 kilograms of the prohibited trade product. He was arrested at the Chibemba police post, in Gambos municipality, when he was trying to cross the border post and enter Huila province, from Cunene where he works.
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ANG_2021_05_Vietnamese National Arrested With 20 Kg of Ivory_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 662.53 KB |
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Chinese national was apprehended at N’djili airport in Kinshasa in possession of ivory. As he was preparing to leave Congolese territory on a flight, a Chinese national named Huang was arrested after the discovery of a large quantity of ivory concealed in a milk box.
The Hawks have arrested a suspect for possession of ivory in Cape Town. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said detectives responded to a tipoff and bust the suspect on Friday in the suburb of Table View. Hani said the Hawks had teamed up with the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries officials.
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SA_2021_05_Hawks swoop on man transporting elephant tusks in Cape Town_Times Live.pdf | 443.3 KB |
Police in Busia have arrested a Senior Security Officer from Uganda in possession of three pieces of animal trophies worth Kshs 3 million street value. Kennedy Wabwire, was arrested on Friday at around 2.00 pm through a tip off from members of the public. "We got information that some Ugandan Nationals were on a mission to traffic ivory into Kenya with the aim of selling," said Busia DCIO, Benard Wamalwa.
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KEN_2021_05_Ugandan official arrested with ivory worth Kshs_3M in Busia_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 277.85 KB |
The Angolan police arrested seven poachers, including an inspector, in the Bicuar National Park, in Huíla province, who were mainly hunting elephants for the sale of ivory.
The Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) detained seven poachers in the Bicuar National Park, in Huíla, who were hunting, mainly for elephants, to later sell the ivory. Among the detainees is a park inspector.
The suspected ivory smuggler from Alberton is facing the full might of the law this week, after two elephant tusks were found in his possession.
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SA_2021_05_Gauteng man busted for possession of two elephant tusks_The South African.pdf | 906.15 KB |
Five Mozambican citizens were detained by the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Tete city and Chitima, a village in Cahora-Bassa district, on Monday, having being found in possession of 11 elephant tusks, lions’ teeth, a leopard skin and a pangolin skeleton.
The defence team representing three men accused of the illegal possession of, and dealing in two large elephant tusks worth about N$104 000, argued that there is no law in Namibia stating that a person is required to get a dealers permit when a permit to possess that product exists. Dirk Vermeulen (50), Edgar Clarke (41) and Michael Lusse (60) were arrested at Walvis Bay in 2019 during a sting operation involving the Namibian Police's Protected Resources Unit after they intended to sell the two tusks.
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NAM_2021_04_Defence in ivory case targets dealing permit_The Namibian.pdf | 1.8 MB |
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with wildlife crimes in six separate cases from 18 April to 25 April, while 10 illegal wildlife products were confiscated.
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NAM_2021_04_Six Namibians arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 283.46 KB |
Two suspects have been arrested at the Meru National Park for being in possession of five elephant tusks weighing 28 kilos with a street value of Sh2.8 million.
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KEN_2021_04_Two arrested with tusks in Meru_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 245.69 KB |