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The hippo population along the Kavango River near Shamvura Camp has reportedly collapsed from 187 animals to just 22 in two years, raising alarm over what lodge owner and conservationist Mark Paxton describes as a relentless surge in poaching. Paxton, who has conducted formal wildlife counts along the river for decades, submits his results to Wetlands International, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. His records show a sharp decline of the local hippo population. "In one year we dropped from 187 to 47.

A joint operation by the Special Wildlife Crime Unit and the Uganda Police Force has led to the arrest of a suspected ivory trafficker and the recovery of 154 kilograms of raw elephant ivory in Northern Uganda. The suspect, Francis Opiro, was apprehended on February 22, 2026, in Nwoya District while in possession of ten pieces of raw elephant tusks. Authorities confirmed that he will be arraigned before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court to face charges of unlawful possession of protected wildlife specimens, contrary to the Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 315.

Namibia's longstanding prohibition on the export of raw and unprocessed timber is aimed at curbing environmental degradation, creating local jobs and ensuring that the country derives greater economic value from its forest resources, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has confirmed. In an interview with Namibian Sun, the ministry's chief forester, Jonas Mwiikinghi, said the ban is enforced through forest regulations that restrict timber exports unless the products have been processed or semi-processed to prescribed standards and size limits.