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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.

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.

Across the African continent, elephant populations have largely declined over the past several decades, but some areas show hopeful signs of recovery, according to a new study. Researchers have monitored the numbers of forest and savanna elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis, L. africana) in different parts of Africa since the 1960s. However, few stud ies have compiled all the survey data collected over decades, across the continent, George Wittemyer, study co-author and conservation biologist at Colorado State University, U.S., told Mongabay by email.