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.
A scientific study, titled 'The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus should be considered Critically Endangered', has made concerning reports regarding African penguins. Data collected from this study has scientists considering putting this tuxedo-feathered creature on the critically endangered list in accordance with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. The final classification of the African penguin’s endangered status will be decided on 22 October 2024.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| SA_2024_07_African penguin population is seeing a rapid dip_Getaway.pdf | 123.69 KB |
Botswana's wildlife authorities say four rhinoceroses were shot, and two of them died, in a heavily guarded sanctuary, although their horns were not removed. The shootings at the sanctuary in central Botswana came after the government de-horned and relocated most of the rhinos further inland to discourage poachers.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BOT_2023_04_Botswana on alert after shooting of rhinos in sanctuary_VOA News.pdf | 272.64 KB |
Botswana said it's seen a dramatic drop in rhinoceros poaching this year after taking greater steps to protect its shrinking rhino population. The significant decline was revealed in a report presented this week at a conference on CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. After losing 126 animals between 2018 and 2021, only six rhinoceroses have been poached in Botswana in 2022.
The report says poaching incidents peaked in 2020 when the country lost 62 rhinos. The following year, at least 33 were reported killed by poachers.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BOT_2022_11_Rhino Poaching Way Down in Botswana_VOA Zimbabwe.pdf | 48.36 KB |
Botswana wildlife authorities have refuted reports the country's rhinoceros population is on the verge of extinction due to poaching. The southern African country has battled a rise in poaching, with more than 60 animals killed in the last two years.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BOT_2021_10_Botswana allays concerns over rhino poaching crisis_VOA News.pdf | 360.29 KB |
Botswana, confronting an unprecedented rise in poaching, has refuted reports by former President Ian Khama that at least 120 rhinoceroses have been killed in the last 18 months. Instead, the government says, wildlife crimes have dropped by 70 percent since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BOT_2021_03_Botswana Denies 120 Rhinos Poached in 18 Months_Voice of America.pdf | 402.45 KB |
Botswana's National Assembly has rejected a call to rearm its game rangers that was driven by a surge in rhinoceros poaching in recent years. Guns were taken away from the rangers in 201, but an opposition party lawmaker had moved a motion to rearm the wildlife officers.
Botswana has decided to re-arm its wildlife rangers as the southern African country battles increased cases of poaching. In the last six months, at least 17 poachers have been killed in gunfire exchanges with the army. The government had disarmed wildlife rangers in 2018, saying that under the law, only the military was allowed the use of firearms during anti-poaching patrols. With the country losing 56 rhinoceros to poachers in the last two years, the government is reconsidering that approach. Wildlife and Tourism …
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BOT_2020-08_Botswana Moves to Rearm Rangers as Rhino Poaching Intensifies _Voice of America_English.pdf | 952.87 KB |
Pangolins (Order: Pholidota) are considered a very rare and threatened group of mammal taxa, and are widely recognized as the most trafficked mammals globally. In recent years, Africa has become an increasingly important source to supply demand, particularly from Asian markets. However, the extent and scale of the trade within South Africa remains poorly documented. Our study aimed to investigate the extent of the illicit trade in the Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in South Africa between 2016 and 2024.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Unmasking the illegal trade demographics of Temmincks pangolin in South Africa_2016_2024.pdf | 751.45 KB |