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.
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Oxpeckers Associate Shi Yi set out to investigate Chinese links in Namibia’s poaching crisis, and ended up in the middle of a sting operation that nabbed a former policeman.
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Oxpeckers_Namibias secret ivory business.pdf | 265.83 KB |
THE Namibian government has made great strides in combating the poaching of endangered animals in recent months, the minister of environment and tourism (MET), Pohamba Shifeta, has said.
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NAM_2016-01_Nam makes big strides in combating poaching Shifeta_The Namibian.pdf | 746.42 KB |
The head of the Namibian Police, Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, said he would dismiss with contempt any claim that the government does not have a real commitment to root out the poaching of Namibia’s wildlife. “Cabinet has allocated a lot of resources to combat and eradicate poaching. It is a costly exercise. This is an indication of how serious government is,” he stressed. Ndeitunga said it is clear that the poaching of rhinos and elephants in Namibian national parks is a well-orchestrated and well-funded transnational organised crime.
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NAM_2015-12_Poaching smells like an inside job_Namibian Sun.pdf | 131.84 KB |
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Namibian Police have requested evidence from Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) as well as the executive director of Namrights, Phil ya Nangoloh, to substantiate allegations of political leaders’ involvement in rhino and elephant poaching. At a joint press briefing on Wednesday, Minister Pohamba Shifeta and police chief Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga requested ya Nangoloh to submit the said evidence before the end of December.
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NAM_2015-12_Ya Nangoloh dared to give evidence_Namibian Sun.pdf | 63.71 KB |
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta says he is not aware of any ministers or former members of parliament involved in poaching. Meanwhile, police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga says he cannot deny that ministers or members of parliament were involved in poaching, but he wanted to know who they are so he can lay his hands on them. The minister and the police chief were reacting to reports in the Namibian Sun that NamRights executive director Phil ya Nangoloh had allegedly submitted a report to Ndeitunga in which political leaders are accused of involvement in…
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NAM_2015-12_Shifeta unaware of ministers who poach_The Namibian.pdf | 462.12 KB |
At one of Hanoi's priciest restaurants, a group of Vietnamese businessmen meet their new American partners to celebrate their latest venture. “A toast!” someone exclaims.
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NAM_2015-11_Pressuring the Poachers_The Namibian.pdf | 363.91 KB |
Namibia has already lost three times the number of rhinos in 2015 compared to that of last year. A total of 77 rhinos and 37 elephants have been poached so far this year. This was confirmed by the Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Colgar Sikopo on Friday. Namibia has experienced a sharp increase in cases of rhino poaching over the past five years. Namibia lost one rhino to poaching in 2009 and 2010 respectively; two rhinos were illegally killed in 2012, four in 2013 and 25 last year.
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NAM_2015-10_Poaching rate triples_Namibian Sun.pdf | 92.32 KB |
The Government has warned against poaching, as this may jeopardize the Namibian economy and also lead to the extinction of wild animals. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology Tjekero Tweya said poaching has negative consequences for the economy as it depletes the country’s wildlife and if there is no wildlife, no income would be generated through hunting. “This is the hunting season, and if we do not have wildlife, lodges and game reserves won’t be able to generate income as there would be no animals which could be hunted. It is not good if there…
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NAM_2015-08_Poaching a trhreat to the Namibian Economy_The Villager Newspaper Namibia.pdf | 836.31 KB |
The arrest of a Chinese national suspected of co-ordinating rhino horn smuggling from Namibia is among the major successes that has been achieved by an international law-enforcement operation combating wildlife crime. The operation - codenamed ‘Operation COBRA III’ - was conducted during May and involved a series of raids conducted across Asia, Africa and Europe, resulting in more than 300 arrests of suspects, including kingpins, and over 600 seizures of assorted wildlife contraband. There have also been more tip-offs leading to the unearthing of criminal networks and their…
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NAM_2015-06_Local kingpin arrest linked to global anti-poaching operation_ Namibian Sun.pdf | 100.54 KB |
In a move to control rhino poaching, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism started constructing a proper boundary fence to protect animals in the Etosha National Park. The fencing is expected to cost an estimated N$700 000 per kilometre. Etosha measures 824 kilometres, and the ministry would need about N$576 million to fence it all. The ministry, however, does not have enough funds for the project and has requested an additional N$167 million during this financial year. It was allocated about N$643 million in the 2015/2016 national budget.
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NAM_2015-06_Fencing Etosha to prevent poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 436.57 KB |
Poachers should be ashamed of themselves for killing innocent animals, said deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu. Just a week ago, Nambahu explained that the ministry was aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. "Shame on them for doing what they are doing to innocent animals. I have never heard of a rhino destroying a mahangu field or killing anyone. Why must it be killed because someone wants its parts?" he asked.
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NAM_2015-05_Nambahu shames poachers_The Namibian.pdf | 456.78 KB |
Deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu says his ministry is aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. He said this during a sponsorship handover by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the wildlife crime prevention unit of the Namibian police force yesterday.
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NAM_2015-05_Locals are being used to poach_Nambahu_The Namibian.pdf | 216.69 KB |
Suspects have been identified in the ongoing Etosha National Park poaching spree and arrests are expected soon. This is according to Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, who also announced that the reward money for information leading to the arrest of the poachers had been doubled from N$30 000 to N$60 000. The minister said there had already been breakthroughs in the north-eastern regions, including Zambezi, where six suspects had been arrested.
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NAM_2015-05_Etosha poaching_ Arrests expected soon_Namibian Sun.pdf | 95.04 KB |
Police Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga has called for the establishment of a database of all trespassers in national parks and nature reserves to establish whether there are links with poachers and possible buyers of rhino horns and elephant tusks. Ndeitunga made these remarks at the Etosha National Park while addressing Heads of Criminal Investigation, Operations, Special Branch and Special Field Force Directorates as well as regional commanders from the Oshana, Oshikoto, Omusati, Kunene and Otjozondjupa regions.
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NAM_2015-04_Ndeitunga calls for stricter park controls_Namibian Sun.pdf | 114.09 KB |
The escalation of rhino and elephant poaching in Namibia continues unabated, with yet another case reported at the weekend. This follows the discovery of an elephant carcass in a village located in the Bwabwata National Park in the Kavango East Region.
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NAM_2015-04-Elephant rhino poaching continues unabated_Namibian Sun.pdf | 60.42 KB |
A parliamentary standing committee has urged the ministries of Justice and Home Affairs to initiate an extradition agreement with the government of Angola to combat cross-border wildlife crimes effectively. Poaching has become a serious problem in Namibia, particularly in the Kunene Region, where poachers appear to operate with impunity. The Kunene Region borders southern Angola. So far this year, 14 rhino carcasses and 33 elephant carcasses have been found in Namibia.
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NAM_2015-03_Namibia_Angola should join forces against poachers_Namibian Sun.pdf | 91.88 KB |
Ben Simasiku, a 31-year-old suspected ivory smuggler, has been arrested in Zambia after the first-ever Interpol public appeal, dubbed to track down nine environmental fugitives.
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NAM_2014-12_Most wanted environmental fugitives list leads to arrest of ivory suspect_The Namibian.pdf | 635.15 KB |
International policing agency Interpol has joined hands with Namibia in its fight against escalating rhino and elephant poaching, including through teaching advanced crime scene investigation, probing transnational linkages and uncovering who the kingpins of the wild crime syndicates are. In what is a first for Namibia the Interpol Sub-directorate on Environment Crime has stepped in to train Namibian police officers, particularly members of the Protective Resources Unit, and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
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NAM_2014-09_Interpol joins Namibias anti-poaching war_Namibian Sun.pdf | 95.84 KB |
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism yesterday confirmed that 33 elephants have been poached in Namibia this year. In the most recent case, two suspects were arrested in the Divundu area of the Kavango East Region on Friday. They were arrested when they tried to sell elephant bone as ivory to unsuspecting people.
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NAM_2014-09_Elephant poaching escalates_Namibian Sun.pdf | 47.83 KB |
Namibia has enjoyed a good reputation for its nature conservation, but there is evidence the illegal trade in wildlife products is thriving. The smuggling hotspot is the Zambezi border region, where five Southern Africa countries intersect. Hongxiang Huang travelled to Zambezi to investigate.
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Oxpeckers_Spotlight on Zambezis poaching problem.pdf | 252.1 KB |
The Protective Resources Unit (PRU) of the Erongo Police are investigating two incidents of alleged elephant poaching near Khorixas after two carcasses were discovered in the area – one of which the tusks have been removed.
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NAM_2013-08_Elephant poaching probe at Khorixas_The Namibian.pdf | 292.04 KB |
Over 72 elephants were poached in the Caprivi Region last year alone while six cases have been reported so far this year.
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NAM_2013-07_Elephant poaching a concern_The Namibian.pdf | 202.39 KB |
Faced with poachers who are ravaging elephant and rhino populations, African nations could do worse than look to Namibia for a game plan to combat the scourge.
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NAM_2013-01_Namibia offers model to tackle poaching scourge_The Namibian.pdf | 255.47 KB |
While South Africa battles with increasing rhino poaching, Namibia has been rocked by the discovery of 18 elephants killed for their ivory in the Caprivi Region.
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NAM_2012-10_Elephant poaching on the rise_The Namibian.pdf | 244.81 KB |
The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has developed into a diverse and lucrative form of transnational organized crime, placing serious pressure on fauna and flora worldwide. The hidden costs include lost ecosystem services (such as carbon storage and water filtration for example), the loss of potential revenue from the sustainable use of natural resources and depriving local communities of resources they rely on for their livelihoods. Wildlife crime erodes rule of law and undermines governance, especially in remote areas and border crossings, but also at key ports.
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SADC_2024_08_LEAP Strategy_2022_2032.pdf | 1.65 MB |
The wildlife crime cases over the last two years have mostly involved antelopes, pangolins, small mammals, rhinos and elephants.
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NAM_2024_07_Over 1 300 arrested for wildlife crimes in two years_Namibian Sun.pdf | 241.14 KB |
South Africa, despite being considered a low-risk area for illegal logging, is grappling with a surge in environmental crimes, the Global Crime Index has shown. The country is not just a consumer of illegal timber and other flora products from neighbouring southern African countries, but is also a significant source country for wildlife crime, involving high-value species such as rhinos, lions, and elephants. Illegal trade of cycads is generating substantial profits, with some specimens fetching up to millions on the international market.
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SA_2023_09_South Africa grapples with escalating environmental crimes_Global Crime Index_OL.pdf | 307.32 KB |
For the past three decades Namibia has adopted conservation approaches that have expanded the range and increased the population sizes of many wildlife species, including black rhinoceros, elephants, and large carnivores. Wildlife recoveries have been particularly noteworthy within the communal areas of Namibia, attributed to the emergence of communal conservancies since 1996. Namibia's progressive legislation has allowed people living with wildlife to benefit from these natural resources, resulting in community stewardship, goodwill, and support for nature conservation.
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Namibia is taking the fight to poachers and traffickers.pdf | 1.54 MB |
This report covers the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. The production of this report was coordinated by the Rooikat Trust and funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, USA, May 2023.
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Wildlife protection and law enforcement in Namibia for the year 2022.pdf | 8 MB |
Environmental crime has exploded worldwide in recent years. According to a report by INTERPOL and UNEP, environmental crime has increased at 2 to 3 times the rate of the global economy and is now the fourth-largest criminal sector after drug trafficking, counterfeit crimes and human trafficking. It is a massive problem, receiving massive attention. Similar trends are true for Namibia. Over the past decade, cases have skyrocketed from negligible to crisis levels - but over the past five years crime rates have been curbed through increasingly effective law enforcement.
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Powerful deterrents agains wildlife crime.pdf | 557.61 KB |
In an important step in the fight against wildlife crime, the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) recently partnered on a project to better understand the current state of knowledge about the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), and the economics of IWT in southern Africa. This critical work was supported by USAID/Southern Africa through its VukaNow Activity. IWT is the world's fourth largest illegal transnational activity, generating between USD $7 and $23 billion every year, and poses a major threat to the iconic wildlife species of southern Africa.
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Counting the costs of wildlife crime.pdf | 90.03 KB |
Namibia has a long history of protecting its environment and its wildlife.
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Namibias Wildlife Crime Legislation_2022.pdf | 2.19 MB |
A summons has been issued and forwarded to the Namibian Police for the return of service, to ensure that Chinese businessman Hou Xue Cheng and his co-accused answer to the criminal charges.
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NAM_2022_09_Probe into chinese businessmans mislaid docket_Namibian Sun.pdf | 548.44 KB |
Since 2014, Namibia has seen a surge in wildlife poaching as a result of increasing international demand and depleting wildlife populations in other areas of the world. This has led to the loss of high-value species (such as elephants, rhinos, and pangolins) and concern about ecosystem impacts and associated economic losses. For instance, Namibia has become a key country for illegally sourced rhino horn, with a total of 416 rhino poached between 2013 and 2019, compared to only 13 rhinos poached between 2005 and 2013 (MEFT; 2020b, Milliken, 2014).
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Namibia Case Study_Cost-Benefit Analysis of Curbing Illegal Wildlife Trade.pdf | 733.77 KB |
Rhino crimes accounted for most arrests during the past year, with 145 suspects having been detained. A significant number of these were pre-emptive arrests, where suspects were caught before they could kill a rhino. This is not only a highly commendable law enforcement success, but also a very positive conservation outcome. Pre-emptive arrests have directly saved numerous rhinos and will allow the population to continue to multiply. The number of rhinos known to have been poached in Namibia during 2020 has decreased from the previous year.
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Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia_Annual Report 2020.pdf | 3.04 MB |
A total of 33,386 poachers have been arrested in the past five years, thanks to the intensified anti-poaching campaign initiated by the National Anti-Poaching Task Force (NTAP). Mr Nduhiye noted that in the past five years the task force managed to intercept various trophies including 14,741 pieces of ivory tusks, 25 rhinoceros horns, 10 live pangolins and 962 tortoises.
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TAN_2021_06_More Than 33 380 Poachers Arrested in Past 5 Years_allAfrica_com.pdf | 103.41 KB |
Rothesay's Chris Morris lives in the East African country and follows poaching cases through the courts.
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KEN_2021_11_Retired NM police officer now covers the war against poaching in Kenya_CBC News.pdf | 8.67 MB |
The environment ministry has condemned the involvement of law enforcement officers in wildlife crimes after a police officer and a member of the Namibian Defence Force were arrested for the possession of rhino horns last week. Four rhinos and one elephant have been poached this year to date. The four rhinos are all white rhinos poached on private farms while the elephant was poached in a conservancy in the Otjozondjupa Region, says Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson of the environment ministry
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NAM_2021_06_Cop_soldier arrested with rhino horns_Namibian Sun.pdf | 401.91 KB |
Drie mans is onlangs op twee verskillende plekke met ses olifanttande vasgetrek. Twee Angolese burgers, mnre. Abraham Mwetupunga en Velema Nghitila, is Sondag op Onandjmba glo met twee olifanttande in hegtenis geneem en 'n Namibiese man, mnr. Philips Kutenda Thikuma, glo met vier olifanttande op 6 Maart by Mukwe. Hulle is deel van die 14 wildmisdaadverdagtes wat volgens die wildmisdaadverslag van 6 tot 14 Maart in sewe wildmisdaadsake in hegtenis geneem is. By Kamanjab is vier Namibiese mans, mnre.
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NAM_2021_03_Drie mans vas oor ses olifanttande_Republikein.pdf | 219.54 KB |
NAM_2021_03_Three men arrested for six elephant tusks_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 219.87 KB |
Less than 8% of suspects arrested in connection with wildlife crimes of high-valued species last year have been convicted. Only 23 suspects out of 304 arrested last year for rhino, elephant and pangolin wildlife crimes have been convicted thus far. A total of 1 055 suspects have been arrested in connection with wildlife crime cases since the beginning of last year to 31 July.
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NAM_2021_08_Less than 8 percent of wildlife crimes convicted_Namibian Sun.pdf | 304.86 KB |
The most comprehensive data on poaching of African elephants comes from the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program, which reports numbers of illegally killed carcasses encountered by rangers. Recent studies utilizing MIKE data have reported that poaching of African elephants peaked in 2011 and has been decreasing through 2018. Closer examination of these studies, however, raises questions about the conclusion that poaching is decreasing throughout the continent.
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State_space models reveal a continuing elephant poaching problem in most of Africa.pdf | 382.92 KB |
This report covers the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.
The first annual report on combatting wildlife crime in Namibia is a noteworthy milestone. Wildlife crime has become one of the central conservation challenges of our time. Namibia’s response to this, since the current wave of crime began, has been underpinned by one central factor – strong partnerships.
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MET_Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report 2019.pdf | 2.03 MB |