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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 - 7 of 7
Friday, 31 May 2024
Mavata K 2024. New proposal puts Kruger National Park's environmental safeguards 'at risk'.

A government proposal to exclude South African National Parks from having to get environmental authorisation for some developments in the Kruger National Park has slipped in almost unnoticed. Just five responses were received to this proposal that was gazetted by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Minister Barbara Creecy in mid-February, with a public comment period of 40 days.

Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Mavata K 2024. Law enforcement officers bust abalone poachers along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Cape Town - Law enforcement officers and the abalone poachers were involved in a game of 'hide and seek' until in the early hours of Tuesday morning along the Atlantic Seaboard, after officers received a tip. City law enforcement members in the CBD, as well the marine and environmental unit officers, responded to a complaint of poaching last night. Law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said poachers were spotted in the water and vehicles associated with their activities were also identified.

Tuesday, 2 April 2024
Mavata K 2024. Five men arrested for rhino poaching in Limpopo.

Five suspects in Limpopo have been arrested for rhino poaching and illegal trades if elephant tusks. According to Sowetan Live, Col Malesela Ledwaba, police spokesperson, stated that the men were apprehended by the endangered species unit and wildlife security on Thursday. The five men who four of them are reported to be foreigners and one South African are expected to appear at the Letsitele and Maake magistrates’ court.

Wednesday, 27 December 2023
Haripersad D 2023. US rhino trade activist arrested for possession of horns without documentation after 16-hour raid.

The Texan faces accusations of violating South African law after several carcasses were found that had no paperwork. A controversial figure in the rhino horn trade debate was arrested last week after more than 20 rhino carcasses were found at his game farm in Limpopo. The arrest of Derek Lewitton was made by the Hawk, after they investigated his Harmony game farm for more than 16 hours. During the searches, members of the Hawks discovered multiple rhino carcasses missing their horns.

Saturday, 3 June 2023
Haripersad D 2023. 16 suspects appear in court after being bust for illicit rhino horns trade.

Sixteen suspects appeared before the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on 31 May 2023 to face charges related to money laundering and corruption connected to the illicit trade of rhino horns. The accused were apprehended during the course of "Project Blood Orange", which saw an investigation conducted by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit of the Hawks in Mpumalanga.

Thursday, 18 May 2023
Haripersad D 2023. Suspected pangolin trafficker arrested in Gravelotte.

Hidden in the boot inside a bag, police found a pangolin estimated to be worth R150 000. In a collaborative operation involving the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation and other enforcement agencies, police arrested a 59-year-old suspected pangolin dealer in Gravelotte, near Tzaneen, on Wednesday, 17 May 2023.

Thursday, 29 July 2021
Froneman A 2021. Pregnant pangolin rescued from suspected poaching, safely released.

A pregnant Temminck's pangolin was rescued from suspected poaching and handed over to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital recently. The Hospital stated that she was 'retrieved from a community handover' through a collaborative effort between the African Pangolin Working Group, South African Police Service (APWG), Endangered Species and Stock Theft Unit, and the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism.

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