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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 Chinese man who smuggled 18 rhino horns through Hosea Kutako International Airport and was arrested in South Africa has been sentenced to a fine of R1.2 million or six years in prison. He paid the fine and will not spend any time in prison. Ye Zhiwei appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court last Wednesday.

An outdated law stipulating lenient sentences for wildlife smuggling has led to the granting of bail to two alleged rhino-horn smugglers. The two Chinese nationals who were arrested in January for possession of rhino horns worth more than N$400 000 were granted bail of N$300 000 each yesterday. Yonghui Lu, 41, and Nan Chen, 29, appeared before Magistrate Venessa Stanley in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court and the case was postponed to 21 June for further investigation.

Foreigners who are found guilty of wildlife crimes will not be allowed back in Namibia after completing their jail terms. This is but one of the amendments contained in the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Amendment Bill that was tabled in the National Assembly by the minister of environment and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, last week. This will apply to foreigners who are found guilty of possession of, and dealing in, elephant and rhino products. Shifeta said a court order would be issued and the person would be declared persona non grata after serving his or…