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The recently released Nature Conservation Index (NCI) places South Africa 25th out of 180 countries, recognising strides in biodiversity conservation while highlighting significant areas needing improvement. The NCI, developed by BioDB, evaluates countries based on 25 critical indicators across land management, species protection, governance, and future conservation trends. Despite its mid-level global position, South Africa faces challenges, notably in marine conservation and governance stability, which impact the country’s ability to effectively enforce environmental policies…

A convicted rhino poacher has blamed his syndicate bosses after receiving a 50-year jail term for illegal hunting in the Kruger National Park (KNP). Dominic Mnisi, 36, Ayanda Ngomane, 31, and Lwazi Malambe, 31, were sentenced to 50, 21 and 33 years direct imprisonment by the Skukuza Regional Court on Thursday. The trio were convicted by the same court in early June after being found guilty by the presiding magistrate Jan Ngobeni.

Rhino Dehorning Debate Intensifies as Poaching Continues in Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve. In the midst of an escalating rhino poaching crisis at the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi (HiP) game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a contentious debate has arisen over whether dehorning rhinos is an effective strategy to protect them. While some argue that dehorning could deter poachers, others express concerns about its effectiveness and potential consequences. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, responsible for overseeing the park, has voiced reluctance regarding the dehorning approach.

Pretoria - The number of rhino in the Kruger National Park has increased. This after the use of technology and sniffer dogs to deter poaching. In the past financial year, the park reported about 180 cases of rhino poaching, a decrease of 45% compared with previous years. Security camera were installed and 12 more installations are expected.

A Gqeberha man was arrested for suspected abalone poaching in the early hours of January 11, after vigilant Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Metro (NMBM) Police officers spotted a suspicious vehicle, a red Toyota Condor, which was leaking water from the rear end. The man was found travelling with eight bags of de-shelled abalone at around 3.45am in the Summerstrand and Humewood area.

A 39-year-old man is expected to appear before the Calcutta Magistrate's Court in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, today after he was arrested by the Nelspruit Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the White River K9 Unit and Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority.

A man has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for rhino poaching by a court in Mpumalanga. This comes against the backdrop of another court in the area sentencing a man to 17 years for rhino poaching. The Skukuza Regional Court sentenced Sipho Titus Khosa on Friday to 34 years in jail.

Last week, the People's Court of Hanoi, Vietnam, sentenced three women and one man to a collective 18 years imprisonment for the illegal transportation and trade of 984kg of pangolin scales, one of the largest cases of wildlife trading investigated in Vietnam's history.

Kruger National Park section rangers have expressed concern at the courts taking too long to convict alleged rhino poachers arrested in the facility, despite evidence. Speaking to the Pretoria News, Karen Keet, the head ranger at the Phalaborwa gate, and Andrew Desmet, who heads the Letaba section within the Kruger National Park, said they often arrested poachers. However, they never get convicted because of laxity within the judiciary system. The two claimed the system seldom took the matter seriously.

Until an illegal wildlife trade report was published in May 2015, Malawi's role in one of the world's largest transnational organised crimes was largely unknown. The landlocked southeast African nation - bordered by countries with large wildlife populations - was revealed to be a major trafficking hub for ivory, pangolin scales, rhino horn and other illegal wildlife commodities. Malawi's weak identification and enforcement systems were being systematically exploited by criminals to export their products to China, Vietnam and other demand countries. In response…

We are working with conservation charity Space for Giants to protect wildlife at risk from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by Covid-19. Help is desperately needed to support wildlife rangers, local communities and law enforcement personnel to prevent wildlife crime.