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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 - 8 of 8
Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Smit E 2020. Seven apprehended for wildlife crimes.

At Opuwo, two Namibians were arrested on 13 October for being in possession of a pangolin. At Grootfontein, a Namibian, Raimo Kakongo, was arrested on 11 October on a charge of conspiring to poach a rhino. The case dates back to August this year. He has been charged with contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act. At Opuwo, two Namibians were arrested on 13 October for being in possession of a pangolin. Uaninazo Muheke and Mavetumbuavi Mutambo were charged with contravening the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act.

Tuesday, 13 October 2020
Smit E 2020. 363 arrested for wildlife crimes in 2019.

Pangolins are the most poached and trafficked animal species in Namibia, crime statistics show. A total of 174 wildlife crime cases involving high-value species were registered last year and more than 360 suspects were arrested. According to the 2019/2020 annual progress report of the environment ministry, 92 of these cases related to pangolin, 54 related to elephants, 32 related to rhinos and 17 to conspiracy to poach rhinos.

Thursday, 8 October 2020
Smit E 2020. 14 caught for wildlife crimes.

Fourteen suspects have been arrested in connection with wildlife crimes and seven new cases have been registered. Three of the suspects were arrested in connection with rhino poaching or trafficking. According to the information provided by the intelligence and investigation unit within the environment and tourism ministry and the protected resources unit within the safety and security ministry, 11 illegal wildlife products were seized.

Thursday, 1 October 2020
Smit E 2020. Six arrested for wildlife crimes.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with wildlife crimes and two new cases were registered last week. Three of the suspects were arrested for elephant poaching and one suspect was arrested for rhino poaching. According to information provided by the intelligence and investigation unit in the environment ministry and the protected resources unit in the safety and security ministry, three illegal wildlife products were confiscated. At Mukwe in the Kavango East Region, three Namibians were arrested on 22 September for being in possession of two elephant tusks.

Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Smit E 2014. Another rhino killing discovered in Kunene.

Another case of rhino poaching has been discovered in the Kunene Region. An old carcass of a rhino was found on Sunday in the area of Etendeka. The discovery came barely a week after the skull of a rhino that had been poached was found in the same area.

Friday, 25 July 2014
Smit E 2014. Poaching will hit tourism industry hard.

The escalation of rhino and elephant poaching in Namibia will have a devastating impact on the country's tourism industry if it continues unabated. Experts in the tourism industry told Namibian Sun that the impact Namibia will experience in the short and long term will include a drop in tourist arrivals, job losses in the sector and revenue loss. The country's reputation will be harmed and it may even hold political risk for government if the recent surge of poaching is not addressed.

Thursday, 24 July 2014
Smit E 2014. Rhino carcass discovered in Kunene.

Another case of rhino poaching has been discovered in the Kunene Region and is being investigated by the police. A spokesperson for the police, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, yesterday confirmed that a rhino carcass was discovered on July 17 at Etendeka in the Sesfontein area. Members of the Save the Rhino Trust discovered the carcass during a routine patrol at Otjijapa village. Upon closer inspection of the skull it was found that the rhino had been dehorned.

Monday, 14 July 2014
Smit E 2014. LAC gets involved in fighting poaching.

The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has embarked on a community advocacy campaign focusing specifically on conservancies in the Palmwag Concession area that are most affected by the escalation in black rhino poaching. The project coordinator of the Legal Assistance Centre, Willem Odendaal, said the Conservation Support Project stems from recommendations made during a stakeholder workshop on wildlife crime held in May this year. Odendaal made the remarks when the Pupkewitz Foundation donated a Toyota Land Cruiser to the Legal Assistance Centre.

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