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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 18 of 18
Friday, 27 June 2025
Ncube L, Tshili N 2025. Zimbabwe: 'Poacher kills' over 100 elephants.

Police have arrested a suspected poacher for allegedly poisoning over 100 elephants using cyanide at Hwange National Park. Tony Maphosa, who has been on the run since 2013, allegedly poisoned water points and salt pans with cyanide resulting in the death of more than 100 elephants. Maphosa was arrested in the national park on Wednesday following a tip off. An anti-poaching team comprising rangers from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police recovered two pieces of ivory from him. Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the arrest.

Sunday, 27 October 2024
Ncube L 2024. Zimparks ranger arrested for poaching and mutilating US 60K lions at Hwange National Park.

A Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ranger has been arrested on suspicion of being responsible for the shooting of the three lions that were found without heads and paws in Hwange National Park last week. Hali Mabuya (39) who was working at Mtshibi Camp in Hwange National Park was found with a Point 458 service rifle that was allegedly used in the callous killing of the three big cats and 52 live rounds of ammunition. About 30 of the rounds had not been issued to him by the employer.

Friday, 23 June 2023
Calitz L 2023. Poaching rife in Manyeleti Nature Reserve, says party.

The FF Plus called for intensified efforts to curb poaching of wild animals in the Manyeleti Game Reserve, while the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency said the situation had been stabilised after a hectic December of dog poaching and snaring.

Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Ngatjiheue C 2022. Government probes workers for poaching.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is investigating some of its workers at Etosha National Park for possibly playing a part in the rhino poaching syndicate which recently left 11 of the mammals dead. Addressing the media yesterday environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said they suspect the "act" was an inside job. All the rhinos killed were also dehorned. He said the ministry is broadening investigations to determine whether its workers were complicit in the matter.

Thursday, 16 June 2022
Ngatjiheue C 2022. Shifeta calls to up game against wildlife crime as 11 rhino carcasses discovered.

Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta says the recent discoveries of 11 dead rhinos are an indication that the country needs to up its game in curbing wildlife crime. This comes after the rhino carcasses were discovered at Etosha National Park, since the beginning of June to date, with their horns removed.

Tuesday, 14 June 2022
Ngatjiheue C 2022. Eleven rhino carcasses found at Etosha.

The Environment and Tourism Ministry says it has discovered 11 rhino carcasses at the Etosha National Park since the beginning of this month. According to the ministry's spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, investigations indicate the carcasses are at least three weeks old. "This is regrettable and a strong indication that the fight against poaching is not over," he said. To date, 22 rhinos have been poached this year.

Thursday, 24 February 2022
Calitz L 2022. Alleged rhino horn possession case goes to Nelspruit Regional Court in June.

Mpumalanga's AB Steyn and Limpopo's Dawie Groenewald appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on February 23 and 24. The pair's previous appearance was on December 10 last year when the case was postponed for the fourth time. Some issues were raised by each of their legal representatives yesterday including that the state was dragging its feet in the case, that the state should be held responsible for the teams' travel costs because of the delays, and that documents were not presented in the way they were supposed to be.

Friday, 15 October 2021
Ncube L 2021. Suspended sentences for wire snare poachers.

Two Victoria Falls men, one of them a neighbourhood watch committee (NWC) member, have been fined $6 000 each for trapping animals with wire snares.

Friday, 17 September 2021
Calitz L 2021. Case of alleged possession of rhino horn postponed again.

AB Steyn and Dawie Groenewald appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court again on September 17 after they had been arrested in Mbombela on July 20. The pair was arrested for the alleged possession of 19 rhino horns on July 20, and after appearing in court on July 23 for the first time, they were released on bail of R50 000 each. Following their appearance today (September 17) the case was again postponed to December 10 for further investigation.

Saturday, 3 October 2020
Ncube L 2020. Pangolin peddling villagers arrested.

Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country.

Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Ncube L 2020. Two Binga villagers arrested for trying to sell pangolin.

Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country. Ephrain Mugande (35) and Simple Mugande (32) both of Manjolo Village under Chief Sikalenge illegally hunted the pangolin in Chizarira National Park on the boundary of Binga and Gokwe before crossing the Zambezi River with it to Sinazongwe town in Zambia with the intention to sell it.

Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Ncube L 2020. 2 Binga folks arrested for possessing live pangolin.

Two villagers from Binga have been arrested in Zambia after they were found in possession of a live pangolin they allegedly intended to sell in the neighbouring country.

Wednesday, 29 July 2020
Ncube L 2020. Zimbabwe - Dete man in court for illegal possession of elephant tusks 28 Jul, 2020 - 17:07.

A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks.

Wednesday, 29 July 2020
Ncube L 2020. 53-year-old in court for illegal possession of elephant tusks (Zimbabwe).

A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks. Similo Vundla of Mambanje village under Chief Nekatambe was arrested by an anti-poaching team in March.

Thursday, 9 July 2020
Ngatjiheue C, Shikongo A 2020. Rhino, elephant poaching cases down.

Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in rhino and elephant poaching cases in the past three years because of improved response mechanisms, the government said yesterday. Minister of environment Pohamba Shifeta said the country has seen a reduction in rhino poaching numbers from 78 cases in 2018, 49 in 2019 and 17 so far this year.

Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Ncube L 2020. Footie star arrested over elephant tusks.

Football Club player Craven Banda has been arrested after he was allegedly found with eight raw elephant tusks.

Friday, 20 March 2020
Ncube L 2020. Four elephants poisoned, tusks removed.

Four elephants were found dead, three of them without tusks in Woodlands Farm resettlement area on Monday.

Ncube L 2021. Father and son arrested for poaching.

A Hwange man and his son have been arrested for poaching after they were allegedly caught trapping animals and birds at the edge of Hwange National Park. Smart Shoko (48) and Ferdinand Shoko (26) both of Number F98 Madumabisa were found in possession of four impala carcasses, a baboon carcass and 79 fowl birds when they were ambushed by an anti-poaching unit in Bumbusi area outside Hwange town on Tuesday.

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