This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
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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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.
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NAM_2023_12_Wildlife conflict_poaching threaten conservation_Namibian Sun.pdf | 384.58 KB |
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.
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NAM_2023_12_Rhino poaching decreased by half_Namibian Sun.pdf | 337.23 KB |
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."
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NAM_2023_12_Pangolin trafficking arrests surge_Namibian Sun.pdf | 307.15 KB |
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.
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NAM_2023_12_Organised crime low in Namibia_Namibian Sun.pdf | 333.63 KB |
This year, 39 rhinos have been poached so far in Namibia, compared to 92 in 2022 and 50 in 2021. Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta presented these figures at the commemoration of World Rhino Day on Friday at Okaukuejo in Etosha National Park. At the event, the minister also officially launched a horse anti-poaching unit. A total of 13 horses have been purchased by the ministry for N$10 000 each, with funding support from the Game Product Trust Fund.
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NAM_2023_09_Horses roped into rhino protection fight_Namibian Sun.pdf | 456.61 KB |
Die Brüder Lombaard sind wegen mehrerer Vergehen im Zusammenhang mit illegalem Wildtransport angeklagt. Gegen Johan Lombaard, der jüngst auf Kaution freigelassen wurde, liegt nun noch ein ausstehender Haftbefehl vor, für den er wieder Kaution erhielt.
The Lombaard brothers are charged with several offenses related to illegal game transport. Johan Lombaard, who was recently released on bail, now has an outstanding arrest warrant for which he was granted bail again.
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NAM_2023_09_Erneute Kaution fuer Lombaard_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 304.89 KB |
NAM_2023_09_Again bail for Lombaard_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 283.62 KB |
Right after wildlife dealer Johan Lombaard was released on bail earlier this week, he was arrested again in connection with a case dating back to 2014. The 57-year-old appeared in the Gobabis Magistrate's Court on Wednesday for the illegal capture and transport of game to the value of N$817 000. He and his co- accused, his brother Johannes Jacobus Lombaaard (54) and Rudie Kotze (49), were granted N$50 000 bail each. The Lombaard brothers established Golden Game, a wildlife farming, capturing and export business in Mariental.…
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NAM_2023_09_Lombaard arrested again_Namibian Sun.pdf | 244.76 KB |
Die beiden Lombaard-Brüder, die in Mariental das Wildtierzucht-, Fang- und Exportunternehmen Golden Game gegründet haben, werden heute (Dienstag) vor dem Magistratsgericht in Gobabis erscheinen, um einen formellen Antrag auf Kaution zu stellen. Ihnen wird vorgeworfen, illegal Wild im Wert von 817 000 N$ gefangen und transportiert zu haben.
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NAM_2023-09_Lombard Brueder angeklagt_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 343.54 KB |
NAM_2023_09_Lombard brothers indicted_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 327.77 KB |
Die twee Lombaard-broers wat die Golden Game-wildboerdery-, vang- en uitvoeronderneming
in Mariental gestig het, sal vandag in die landdroshof op Gobabis verskyn vir ’n formele aansoek
om borgtog op aanklagte van die onwettige vang en vervoer van wild ter waarde van N$817 000.
The two Lombaard brothers, who founded the Golden Game game farming, trapping and
exporting business in Mariental, will appear in the magistrate's court at Gobabis today for a
formal application for bail on charges of the illegal capture and transport of game to value of
N$817…
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NAM_2023_09_Broers in heftenis oor onwettige wildvangery_Republikein.pdf | 341.48 KB |
NAM_2023_09_Brothers arested for illegal game capture_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 300.93 KB |
Two brothers will appear in the Gobabis Magistrate's Court today for their formal bail application on charges of illegally capturing and transporting game to the value of N$817 000. Johan (57) and Kobus Lombaard (54) - who founded Golden Game, a wildlife farming, capturing and export business - stand accused of illegally transporting game or game meat under the Nature Conservation Ordinance and selling and purchasing game without a permit. They also face charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for disguising the…
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NAM_2023_09_Lombaard brothers charged with illegal capture of game_Namibian Sun.pdf | 367.16 KB |
Als eine der größten illegalen Wirtschaftsformen der Welt ist die Naturkriminalität eng mit Terrorismus, Korruption, Menschenrechtsverletzungen, Finanzkriminalität und anderen Bedrohungen für Frieden und Sicherheit verbunden.
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NAM_2023-09_Initiative gegen Naturkriminalitaet_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 371.61 KB |
NAM_2023_09_Initiative against natural crime_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 509.08 KB |