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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 - 6 of 6
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Schneider V 2025. Vietnam faces scrutiny for not sharing enough data on rhino horn trade.

As a source country, transit point, and final destination for animal products, Vietnam is a central actor in the global fight against wildlife trafficking. But for years, the CITES Secretariat has reprimanded Vietnam for not doing enough to combat and dismantle criminal wildlife trade networks that poach and trade wildlife, a major threat to biodiversity and endangered species.

Monday, 2 December 2024
Schneider V 2024. Namibian conservancies fight to block mining threat to rhinos.

Two Namibian community conservancies and a tourism operator have turned to the courts to block development of a tin mine. The conservancies say the environmental impact assessments for the open-pit mine are flawed and will disturb wildlife, including critically endangered southern black rhinos. In a similiar case in the //Huab Conservancy, a copper mine disturbed wildlife in the area, forcing rhino-based tourism to shut down.

Monday, 1 July 2024
O'Brien C 2024. Radioactive rhinos: conservationists try new anti-poaching trick.

South African conservationists have begun implanting radioactive pellets into the horns of white rhinos in an effort to curb the illegal rhino horn trade. James Larkin, the leader of the project, says the £1,000 pellet is cheaper and less damaging than other anti-poaching measures such as removing the horn. The project takes advantage of the global nuclear surveillance system. Sensors installed at border posts will now be able detect the horns’ radiation and alert the authorities.

Tuesday, 23 April 2024
O'Brien C 2024. Poachers kill two lions and a zebra, using wire snares in a Limpopo ranch.

Police at Lulekani under the Mopani District are investigating a case of illegal poaching of protected wild animals, in an incident where two lions and a zebra were killed. An injured hyena was rescued after it was caught up in a wire snare, in the incident which happened at Genoeg Camp inside Letaba Ranch on Sunday around midnight.

Thursday, 15 April 2021
David R 2021. Wildlife crime decreases in 2020Wildlife crime decreases in 2020.

According to the Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report for 2020, rhino crimes accounted for most arrests during the past year, with 145 suspects having been detained. "A significant number of these were pre-emptive arrests, where suspects were caught before they could kill a rhino. This is not only a highly commendable law enforcement success, but also a very positive conservation outcome. Pre-emptive arrests have directly saved numerous rhinos and will allow the population to continue to multiply," the report stated.

Friday, 22 May 2020
David R 2020. Drop in recorded wildlife crime.

Between 11 and 17 May, only one new case of wildlife crime was registered with four suspects arrested and charged, according to the latest wildlife crime statistics compiled by the Intelligence and Investigation Unit within the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism and Protected Resources. Two of the suspects were arrested on rhino poaching/trafficking, including conspiracy of rhino poaching. One springbok horn was seized.

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