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Wildlife conservation continues to face the acute challenges of poaching, habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict. Environment ministry executive director Teofilus Nghitila said due to Namibia's successful conservation methods, which have led to increased wildlife populations outside national parks, human-wildlife conflict has increased. "The situation is worsened by the current disparities in rainfall as well as the growing human population," he said in his end-of-year message.

Environment ministry executive director Teofilus Nghitila says 48 rhinos have been poached so far this year. The figure shows a decrease from the 92 animals poached last year. Meanwhile, eight elephants were poached this year - compared to four last year - but this still much better than the previous years' figures, which reached 27 in 2018. The ministry – in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies - set up a response team when poaching skyrocketed in 2013.

There has been an increase in the number of arrests made in crimes related to pangolin trafficking between 1 September and 30 November. According to environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins and 146 scales were confiscated, resulting in 23 registered cases and 38 suspects being arrested. "These numbers surpass that of elephant and rhino arrests combined for this period."

Namibia's average criminal market score was 4.1, an increase of 0.2 since 2021. The country scored 3.5 on human trafficking and 4.5 in arms trafficking. For flora crimes, Namibia scored 6.5, and for fauna crimes - which would include rhino poaching and the linked trade in horns - it scored 4.5.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism says although it does not have any hand in the internal investigation at the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), it may launch its own probe into the matter. The Save the Rhino Trust confirmed this week that an internal investigation had been commissioned last year after several “concerns” were brought to their attention with regard to an alleged conspiracy between SRT members and poachers. The Kunene Region has been the hardest hit when it comes to rhino poaching in Namibia.

Namibia’s Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has launched an internal investigation in response to allegations that some of its staff members have been involved in the escalating rhino poaching that has hit the Kunene Region. Most of the 24 rhinos poached last year were black rhino from the Kunene Region and allegations have surfaced pointing at a conspiracy between SRT rangers and poachers. The SRT yesterday confirmed in a statement that an internal investigation was launched last year after several “concerns” were brought to their attention.