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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 12 of 12
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Nangolo N 2025. Seal bulls apparently harvested only for genitals.

The country's uncontrolled growth of the seal population is a direct result of quota holders focusing only on harvesting bulls for their genitals, leaving the rest of theanimal, including the meat and valuable by-products, unused due to lack of a market. This is what the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, Tjekero Tweya, said in parliament on Monday during the presentation of the committee's findings. He argued that the current system benefits only a handful of investors, while ignoring the potential for industrial development.

Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Nangolo N 2024. 27 new boreholes to curb human-wildlife clashes in Kavango.

President Nangolo Mbumba has announced the establishment of 27 new boreholes across the Kavango West region's six constituencies in a bid to tackle water scarcity and human-wildlife conflict. Additionally, two traditional wells in Mpungu constituency have been upgraded to relieve communities grappling with these persistent challenges. Speaking at a Swapo rally in Mupini over the weekend, Mbumba highlighted the party's efforts to improve living conditions in the region, one of the country’s youngest regions.

Tuesday, 5 November 2024
Naidoo D 2020. South Africa's Conservation efforts ranked 25th globally but challenges remain.

The recently released Nature Conservation Index (NCI) places South Africa 25th out of 180 countries, recognising strides in biodiversity conservation while highlighting significant areas needing improvement. The NCI, developed by BioDB, evaluates countries based on 25 critical indicators across land management, species protection, governance, and future conservation trends. Despite its mid-level global position, South Africa faces challenges, notably in marine conservation and governance stability, which impact the country’s ability to effectively enforce environmental policies…

Thursday, 30 May 2024
Nangolo N 2024. Bull elephant poachers wanted.
The police in the Kavango West region are appealing for public assistance in tracking down the suspect(s) who shot and killed a bull elephant valued at N$295 000 at Woma Village in the Mankumpi Constituency yesterday.
Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Naidoo D 2023. Rhino dehorning debate intensifies as poaching continues in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve.

Rhino Dehorning Debate Intensifies as Poaching Continues in Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve. In the midst of an escalating rhino poaching crisis at the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi (HiP) game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a contentious debate has arisen over whether dehorning rhinos is an effective strategy to protect them. While some argue that dehorning could deter poachers, others express concerns about its effectiveness and potential consequences. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, responsible for overseeing the park, has voiced reluctance regarding the dehorning approach.

Friday, 13 January 2023
Naidoo D 2023. Gqeberha man arrested for possession of 1 620 units of protected abalone.

A Gqeberha man was arrested for suspected abalone poaching in the early hours of January 11, after vigilant Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Metro (NMBM) Police officers spotted a suspicious vehicle, a red Toyota Condor, which was leaking water from the rear end. The man was found travelling with eight bags of de-shelled abalone at around 3.45am in the Summerstrand and Humewood area.

Thursday, 1 December 2022
Naidoo D 2022. Suspected poacher nabbed with two elephant tusks.

A 39-year-old man is expected to appear before the Calcutta Magistrate's Court in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, today after he was arrested by the Nelspruit Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the White River K9 Unit and Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority.

Saturday, 19 November 2022
Naidoo D 2022. Rhino poacher sentenced to 34 years in jail.

A man has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for rhino poaching by a court in Mpumalanga. This comes against the backdrop of another court in the area sentencing a man to 17 years for rhino poaching. The Skukuza Regional Court sentenced Sipho Titus Khosa on Friday to 34 years in jail.

Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Nangolo N 2022. Vermeende stroper in been geskiet.

'n Vermeende stroper is Sondag op die plaas Kaliombo in die Karibib-omgewing in die been geskiet. Volgens die Namibiese polisie se misdaadverslag het die 65-jarige plaaseienaar omstreeks 23:45 die honde hoor blaf. Veiligheidswagte van K-Sapu het hom ingelig oor vermeende stropers op sy eiendom. Die boer het ondersoek gaan instel en drie mans met vleis gewaar. Die verdagtes was met assegaaie en 'n byl gewapen. Hulle het ook drie honde by hulle gehad. Die verdagtes het na bewering probeer om die boer aan te val.

Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Nangolo N 2022. Suspected poacher wounded by farmer.

A farmer shot and wounded a suspected poacher in the leg at farm Kaliombo in the Karibib district on Sunday. It is alleged the farmer acted in self-defence, after a group of alleged poachers attempted to attack him after he discovered them on his farm. According to a crime update provided by the Namibian police, the farm owner (65) was alerted to possible intruders (65) when he heard dogs barking on Sunday at about 23:45. He was also notified about suspected poachers on his farm by security guards from K-Sapu Security and Anti-Poaching.

Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Naidoo D 2022. LOOK: Smugglers jailed for trading nearly one tonne of pangolin scales.

Last week, the People's Court of Hanoi, Vietnam, sentenced three women and one man to a collective 18 years imprisonment for the illegal transportation and trade of 984kg of pangolin scales, one of the largest cases of wildlife trading investigated in Vietnam's history.

Monday, 18 October 2021
Looby C 2021. Drones are a knife in the gunfight against poaching. But they're leveling up.

At the peak of the rhino poaching war in South Africa in 2015 and 2016, poachers slaughtered nearly three rhinos a day. Although that rate has declined, the numbers are still disheartening and unsustainable, with poachers killing at least one rhino every day. Some conservationists have looked to drones as a potentially powerful tool in anti-poaching efforts, with the technology continuing to evolve. But experts say it isn’t at the level yet where it can meet the challenge, and that while it can be helpful, conservation efforts must continue to engage and educate local…

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