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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 11 of 11
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
2025. South Africa: Tragic news from the Eastern Cape.

A pregnant rhino has been shot dead and dehorned by poachers on a game reserve near Alexandria. The incident comes as a gruesome reminder of the rhino poaching scourge, which has been relatively quiet in the Eastern Cape in the past six months but continues to threaten the survival of the species. We will update with more information once it becomes available. The only info circulating at the moment is currently behind a pay wall, which we don't have access to.

Friday, 3 October 2025
2025. Live pangolin saved from the illegal trade.

South Africa: Great team work guys. Live pangolin saved from the illegal trade - disgraceful that 2 cops were among the suspects arrested! In an intelligence driven operation yesterday, 4 suspects were arrested at Makro Wonderboom, Pretoria, 2 were SAPS police officers, 2 x 9mm pistols retrieved. Outstanding work from SAPS Cullinan stock theft and Endangered species, SAPS Silverton K9 and support from US Homeland Security

Thursday, 2 October 2025
2025. Cheetah cubs destined for illegal trade in exotic pets rescued in Somaliland.

Nairobi, Kenya: Eleven cheetah cubs were rescued from illegal trade in Somaliland in what a conservationist described on Thursday as "one of the largest confiscations of the species." The cubs were packed in bags that resembled sacks of potatoes and were being transported in a small dhow off the Somaliland coast at Berbera when the local coast guard intercepted them on Sunday. Two locals and three Yemenis were arrested during the rescue operation, and the cheetahs were taken to a rescue center owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, or CCF.

Thursday, 11 September 2025
2025. 2 traffickers arrested with 32kg ivory.

EAGLE Côte d'Ivoire - 2 traffickers arrested with 32kg ivory. The ivory, concealed in a rice sack, was trafficked from Liberia. The Burkina Faso National trafficker denounced the other for being a known big ivory trafficker.

Sunday, 20 July 2025
2025. Zimbabwe Police has arrested one Cong Yanzhong.

Zimbabwe Police has arrested one Cong Yanzhong from China for possession of 3 rhino horns worth US$240 000 and 4 pieces of raw ivory weighing 36kgs . The Chinese national appeared in court and was remanded in custody to 22 July 2025 for trial.

Thursday, 3 July 2025
2025. As of July 3, 2025, the trial of former Kruger National Park (KNP) regional ranger Rodney Landela and his co-accused, Kenneth Motshotsho, continues in the Skukuza Regional Court.
As of July 3, 2025, the trial of former Kruger National Park (KNP) regional ranger Rodney Landela and his co-accused, Kenneth Motshotsho, continues in the Skukuza Regional Court. The two face multiple charges related to the poaching of a white rhino in the Kingfisherspruit area in 2016.
Monday, 5 May 2025
2025. Poachers have killed over 100 rhinos in South Africa this year.

Cape Town, South Africa - Poachers in South Africa killed more than 100 rhinos in the first three months of this year, most of them inside national parks, highlighting an ongoing battle to protect one of the best-known endangered species. South African Environment Minister Dion George announced the figures Monday and said that of the 103 rhinos killed between Jan. 1 and March 31, 65 were poached in national parks. The average of more than one rhino killed a day is in line with last year's count and "a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife," George said.

Monday, 30 January 2023
2023. Nigeria greenlights a new law to tackle wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.

The Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill - prepared by the Nigerian Ministry of Environment and jointly sponsored by Johnson Oghuma, Chair of the House Environment Committee, and Sam Onuigbo – would make Nigeria compliant with international conventions on endangered species, organised crime and corruption while increasing investigative powers to include financial enquiries and intelligence-led operations.

Friday, 30 September 2022
Davie M, Henry M 2022. The wildlife sanctuary bringing rhinos back from the brink.

Rhinos were poached to near extinction in Zimbabwe. Now a private wildlife sanctuary is reintroducing them to places.

Tuesday, 19 April 2022
2022. Our investigation into pangolin trade from Uganda to China exposes serious legal loopholes.

Our investigation into pangolin trade from Uganda to China exposes serious legal loopholes.

Friday, 5 February 2021
Thornton A 2021. History repeating: The illegal trade in rhino horn.

Rhino populations are being hammered by poachers, steeping Africa in blood and pushing the species ever-closer to extinction to satisfy the demand for rhino horn in Vietnam and other countries - a demand largely based on the myth of the non-existent medicinal properties of rhino horn. For the record, rhino horn is entirely composed of keratin, also the chief component in hair, nails and animal hooves; you’ve as much chance of curing cancer by biting your nails as you have by drinking powdered rhino horn.

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