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Nairobi - The National Police Service (NPS) officers, in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), have arrested two suspects in Maralal Town, Samburu County, for possession of elephant tusks valued at approximately Sh1.1 million. According to a statement from the NPS, the joint operation was conducted on Sunday, following an intelligence-led mission by officers from Samburu Central Sub-County. The two suspects were intercepted while transporting seven pieces of elephant tusks weighing about 11.33 kilograms, which had been concealed inside a bag.

With the severe population declines of vultures over the past three decades, government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure that vulture conservation remains a national priority. According to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, this year alone, two mass poisoning incidents resulted in the deaths of hundreds of vultures. "If these events continue unchecked, the loss of thousands of vultures could have devastating environmental and public health consequences," the Minister said on Monday.

A Chinese national caught with rhino horns worth over US$240,000 has been sentenced to an effective 18-year jail term. Cong Yanzhong (57) was convicted of unlawfully dealing in wildlife when he appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court for sentencing this Wednesday. He was facing two counts of wildlife trafficking. It was the State's case that on July 16, 2025, police detectives received a tip-off to the effect that a Chinese national was involved in illegal wildlife products.

Namibia's largest rhino farmer says the arrest of his South African hero and mentor, John Hume, is a witch hunt and politically driven. Jaco Muller of the Rhino Momma Project has expressed his opinion after the arrest of the world's largest rhino farmer last week. Asked if this would negatively affect Namibia's application to CITES for the legal trade in rhino horn, Muller said it was precisely because of the ban on the legal trade in rhino horn that Hume went bankrupt.

An unregulated trade in pelargonium, a protected species, is causing environmental destruction across Lesotho. Five people were recently found guilty of illegally dealing in pelargonium. They were fined M200 (equivalent to R200). In a scathing judgment, magistrate Thabang Tapole found serious flaws in the government's permitting system and said laws should be updated to effectively deter people from breaking environmental laws. He also highlighted how local harvesters are paid "peanuts" for a product that sells at high prices internationally.

The State alleges that Hume, in association with his five alleged co-conspirators, knew or ought to have known that their enterprise 'uses or invests, directly or indirectly (Hume's) rhino horns, other rhino horns and rhino skins to fuel the illegal market'. A dark shadow has been cast around the "conservation hero" mantle of South African rhino baron John Hume following sensational allegations that he purchased or purloined the identity documents of several indigent people as part of an elaborate scheme to fraudulently circumvent a 50-year-old global ban on the rhino horn trade…

Yokohama - Tanzania and Kenya have announced a joint bid to champion digital public infrastructure, a regional command and control centre to address human-nature conflicts in Africa, as per the Lusaka Agreement Known officially as the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations directed at Illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, it is a treaty focused on combating illegal wildlife trade.

Nkurenkuru - The Maurus Nekaro Conservancy in the Kavango West region is grappling with significant management challenges that threaten its wildlife conservation mission. Manager of the conservancy Muhepa Matheus said this during discussions between conservancy officials and parliamentary standing committee members specialising in natural resources here last week. Established in 2016 and gazetted in August 2017, the 1 117 square hectare conservancy has achieved notable successes in community development while protecting wildlife resources.

An elderly resident (68) of Swakopmund who is accused of illegally keeping a lizard and a turtle was granted bail of N$15000 yesterday, after the state dropped its opposition to his release. Jürgen Michael Riegel, a German citizen with permanent residence in Namibia, appeared before Magistrate Nelao Brown for his formal application for bail in the magistrate's court in this town. The case did not go as planned, after public prosecutor Anita Likius told the court: "We have no objection to the accused being granted bail." Likius also said the investigation was complete.

Two Burundian nationals have been charged in a Mombasa court with illegal possession and trade in elephant tusks in an intensified crackdown on wildlife trafficking. Gakiza Sulemani and Nkunubumwe Celecius appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo on Monday, facing charges of dealing in 27 pieces of elephant tusks without a permit. According to the charge sheet, the tusks - classified as trophies from endangered species - weighed approximately 62.85 kilograms and had an estimated market value of Sh12,570,000.

Namibia is pinning its hopes on the upcoming COP20 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for approval to legally sell some of its ivory stocks. A formal proposal has already been submitted. The summit will take place in Uzbekistan from November 24 to December 5. According to the proposal submitted by Namibia, the country currently has just over 92 386 kg of ivory with a value of about N$166 million. The ivory comes from population management and seizures, about half each. Namibia does not destroy its ivory.

The illegal mining of mica is believed to continue within the Dorob National Park in the Namib, despite a reported government investigation and fines issued earlier this year. Tourism operators, environmentalists and residents allege increasing environmental damage, lax enforcement and deliberate evasion in the licensing process allegedly linked to the exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) 10877. According to a reliable source, an investigation was carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) in February 2025.

Only about 7% of all suspects arrested for rhino-related crimes in Namibia in the past decade have been convicted by th end of 2024. Since 2015 when the current rhino poaching crisis first peaked, 726 rhinos have been recorded as poached in Namibia by last year. According to the Namibia National Wildlife Protection Report for 2024, proactive law enforcement led to the arrest of 855 suspects accused of rhino-related crimes.

Jürgen Michael Riegel, 68, who was arrested in Swakopmund last week for allegedly detaining a lizard and a turtle at his home without the necessary permits, will remain in custody until his official bail hearing on August 11. Riegel, a German citizen with permanent residence in Namibia, is facing charges under the Nature Conservation Ordinance for the detention of wildlife species without a permit and for the "inability to provide a satisfactory explanation of possession".

The smallest tortoise in the world lives on South Africa's west coast, and a button-shaped succulent endemic to a tiny area of the Northern Cape can be found nowhere else in the world. But the area's unique fauna and flora are under threat from poaching, mining, farming, and climate change.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has commended the conviction and sentencing of four foreign nationals involved in a major plant poaching case, valued between R6 million and R30 million. The Calvinia Regional Court sentenced the accused to 15 years direct imprisonment for the illegal harvesting of 303 specimens of the critically endangered Clivia mirabilis, a rare species endemic to parts of the Northern and Western Cape.

Kruger rangers face armed poachers daily while investigating elephant killings and recent poaching camps in a 2-million-hectare wilderness. Rangers undergo six-week intensive training, including 15km bush patrols and survival skills, but job opportunities are limited by budget constraints

President Lazarus Chakwera is facing a torrent of criticism after controversially pardoning two convicted Chinese wildlife traffickers, in what civil society leaders and environmentalists have branded a shameful betrayal of Malawi's fight against corruption, wildlife crime, and executive accountability.

Rangers say poachers are starving young men who kill animals for meat, not traditional medicine, and dry the meat inside the park. More than 120 vultures were poisoned after eating meat from a dead elephant laced with toxic chemicals used by poachers. Hungry and desperate, people living near Kruger National Park are turning to poaching to survive. About 80% of the population in the area depend on illegal hunters who sneak into the park to kill wild animals for food. The meat is either eaten or sold to local butchers who pass it on to poor community members at low prices.

Two men have been arrested for trying to sell elephant tusks worth R200,000 in Limpopo. The suspects, brothers Peter and Phanuel Mokgalaka, were caught during a police sting in Selwane Village outside Phalaborwa on Wednesday. The operation was led by the Hawks in Limpopo, with help from the Sani Sand Nature Reserve and the Kruger National Park's Environmental Crime Investigation unit. Police got a tip-off that the men were selling ivory. Officers contacted them and pretended to be buyers. The brothers agreed to meet the supposed buyers in Selwane.

Nigeria accounts for the largest volume of detected pangolin scales illegally traded from Africa. Between 2010 and 2021, 190,000kg of scales - representing nearly 800,000 African pangolins - were seized in shipments linked to Nigeria, despite a ban on international trade. Pangolins are scaly mammals found across Asia and Africa. They are considered the world’s most trafficked wild mammals and they are exploited in different ways on different continents. In Asia, mainly China, their scales are used in large-scale therapeutic medicines, despite not having known medicinal properties…

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has given the Save Valley Conservancy the green light to cull 50 elephants to curb overpopulation. The growing elephant population is fast exceeding the carrying capacity of Zimbabwe's national parks. ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, noting that permits have been issued to Save Valley Conservancy for an elephant management exercise.

'n Beloning wat sal lei tot die inhegtenisneming van 'n renosterstroperysindikaat wat nou al vier renosters op 'n plaas naby Maltahöhe in die Hardapstreek gestroop het, het nou gestyg tot N$1 miljoen nadat nóg drie karkasse gister ontdek is. 'n Beloning van N$200 000 is aanvanklik aangebied vir die inhegtenisneming wat sal lei tot die skuldigbevinding van die stropers wat onlangs 'n witrenosterkoei gestroop het en haar kalf, Elsa, wees gelaat is.

In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through Malawi's justice and conservation circles, Principal Resident Magistrate Benjamin Chulu has ordered that Chinese wildlife crime kingpin, Lin Yun Hua, remain behind bars as he awaits trial for serious corruption charges. Yun Hua, once dubbed Malawi's most notorious environmental criminal, was on the verge of walking free after a controversial presidential pardon - despite serving less than half of his 14-year sentence for wildlife trafficking and money laundering. The move sparked an uproar.

Messor cephalotes, also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant, is a large, aggressive harvester ant species native to eastern Africa, particularly in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. In Kenya, two ant smuggling cases recently made global headlines. It's part of a growing problem with biopiracy and the illicit trade in wild animals. In Kenya last week, four young men were found guilty of attempting to smuggle ants.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has commanded a joint law enforcement operation, which led to the arrest of three suspects involved in illegal abalone possession in the Eastern Cape. Three male suspects, aged 27, 28, and 32, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, following a joint operation by the Gonubie SAPS, East London Dog Unit, and Green Scorpions. The operation was initiated after authorities received an intelligence about illegal diving activities at German Bay Beach.

In the first three months of 2025, five provinces in South Africa lost 103 rhinos due to poaching, averaging at 34.33 rhinos per month. "The loss of 103 rhinos to poaching in the first three months of 2025 is a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife. Yet, the absence of poaching in four provinces shows that our targeted interventions are yielding results, and we must build on this progress," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Monday.

In a scandalous move that reeks of impunity and elite protectionism, there are credible reports that convicted wildlife trafficker and serial corruption suspect Lin Yunhua - currently serving a 14-year sentence at Dedza Prison - is on the verge of being freed, courtesy of President Lazarus Chakwera's so-called "presidential pardon." According to sources within Dedza Prison who spoke under strict anonymity, Yunhua is among the 21 inmates mysteriously handpicked for release last Friday - despite serving a paltry four years of his sentence for serious environmental crimes that shook…

Three suspected abalone smugglers appeared in the Karasburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday after allegedly smuggling abalone worth about N$1.7 million across the Orange River. Well-known residents of Warmbad, Laurentius Basson, Petrus Alexander Bock and Mannetjie Harold Schultz appeared before Magistrate Melissa Mungunda who postponed their case to July 23 and 24. Esther Jafet appeared for the state. The accused are charged, among other things, with helping Chinese nationals smuggle 407 kg of abalone across the Orange River in July 2022.

Instability, enforcement gaps and poverty combine to enable the rampant trafficking of cheetah cubs to the Middle East. Cheetah trafficking in the Horn of Africa has reached crisis levels. Research has documented at least 1 884 incidents involving around 4 000 live cheetahs and cheetah parts related to the illegal wildlife trade from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula between 2010 and 2019. A more recent study sheds light on how baby cheetahs are smuggled from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries and sold as exotic pets.

What is being touted as the largest, most comprehensive count of African lions in Uganda has painted a grim picture in some areas and a marked hope for others. That is according to a report by three of the lead participants in the survey carried out by more than 100 Ugandan and international collaborators, driving over 26,000km and recording 7,516 camera trap nights from 232 locations spanning a year from January 2022 to January 2023.

A dispute has erupted in the informal settlement of Tumweneni in the Kavango East region, with residents accusing the settlement committee of unilaterally allowing a Chinese company to cut down five mopane trees. This without the wider community being aware of the matter. However, Max Solar Power Trading cc, the Chinese company at the center of the controversy, denied any wrongdoing. Supervisor Peter Sandanda told Network Media Hub (NMH) that the company had simply helped remove the trees that were seen as harmful or an obstacle.

The country's uncontrolled growth of the seal population is a direct result of quota holders focusing only on harvesting bulls for their genitals, leaving the rest of theanimal, including the meat and valuable by-products, unused due to lack of a market. This is what the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, Tjekero Tweya, said in parliament on Monday during the presentation of the committee's findings. He argued that the current system benefits only a handful of investors, while ignoring the potential for industrial development.

Wildlife crime poses a serious threat to conservation efforts across Africa that rob communities of high-value resources and reduce their benefits from natural resources. The just-released 2023 State of Municipal Conservation Report warns that wildlife crime is occurring at multiple levels, necessitating a widespread response from multiple agencies. "Some wildlife crime takes place at a subsistence level for food or at a commercial level, which then involves crime syndicates and illegal international smuggling, which increases the stakes," the report said.

South Africa continues to see a downward trend in rhino poaching, with the 2024 statistics showing that 499 rhinos were poached in 2023, compared to 420 last year - a decrease of 79. "As we intensify the fight against wildlife poaching, it is encouraging to see that the work of the rangers, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and other key role players is steadily gaining momentum," the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Thursday.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has opposed a proposed mining project targeting the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone in Hwange National Park. ZimParks has called on the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to reject such applications. The Authority's spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo said allowing mining in the ecologically sensitive area will pose a threat to the endangered black rhino population, disrupt wildlife habitats and undermine Zimbabwe's reputation as a leader in sustainable conservation.

South Africa continues to see a downward trend in rhino poaching, with the 2024 statistics showing that 499 rhinos were poached in 2023, compared to 420 last year: a decrease of 79. "As we intensify the fight against wildlife poaching, it is encouraging to see that the work of the rangers, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and other key role players is steadily gaining momentum," the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Thursday.

Spanning three countries, the vast W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is being used to facilitate organised crime, terrorism and local conflicts. The W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex is a vast wildlife sanctuary spanning the intersecting borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. With one of the most diverse ecosystems in West Africa's savanna belt, it is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site and shelters threatened species such as cheetah, giraffe, wild dog, elephant, lion and leopard.

A total of 77 suspects arrested, but no word is said about how many have already been tried, and what the sentences are. This leaves no doubt that cases are still in the investigation stages, and it leaves no doubt that cases will drag on for days to come. Bringing a case to court and having it successfully tried is supposed to be the pride of any detective/investigator. It breaks my heart to see no positive reporting, with the amount of settled/conviction cases' feedback.

Three men have been arrested for illegal logging in the West Bugwe Central Forest Reserve, Busia district. The National Forestry Authority (NFA) apprehended Kennedy Yolya, Henry Mudambo, and Robert Mudambo, aged between 35 and 50, for cutting down immature hardwood trees in a protected area. According to Michael Kusoro, NFA's Kyoga Range Manager, the trio was caught in the act of felling 17 mature indigenous trees, including species such as Albizia, Combretum, and Vitex doniana.

The battle between mining and conservation tourism rages on in the dry rocky plains of the Sorris Sorris Conservation Area, the High Court in Windhoek and in the boardroom of the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC). At stake are promising tin deposits that could mean big bucks from increasing global demand, as opposed to preserving the natural beauty of the area where the endangered black rhinos roam. Community-driven tourism and their private-sector partners strive to keep their symbiotic relationship with the rhinos alive. "Get rid of us and the rhinos are gone with the…

Police have commended the sentencing of three wildlife poachers, who have been found guilty of a number of serious crimes by the Skukuza Regional Court. Two South African citizens, Sam Khosa (40) and Solly Bennett Selahle (30), and Mozambican national, Oddis Maluleke (46), were sentenced by the court on Friday, 24 January. During proceedings, the court heard that on Friday, 15 February 2019, a regional field ranger observed suspicious activity inside the Kruger National Park (KNP) involving the accused individuals.

A group of highly endangered black rhinos is protected until 6 March to be peacefully protected by the conservation areas - Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas - to walk. Then the court dispute will proceed to determine whether mining operations may continue in this area. Acting High Court Judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi ordered on Tuesday that the trial over planned open-pit tin mines in the area will not proceed until March. Until then, interdicts against further development of any new mining operations in the area remain in force.

Vietnam's apparent reluctance to share DNA samples of smuggled horns with South Africa - the country with the largest remaining populations of rhinos in the world, albeit decimated by a relentless wave of poaching over recent decades - has been criticised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Listen to this article 11 min Listen to this article 11 min Vietnam has come under fire for its 'passive approach' to sharing crucial evidence that could help South African forensic experts trace the exact origin of horns smuggled…

The assertion that mining and conservation can coexist in fragile ecosystems is disingenuous. Our operations depend on black rhinos, a species critically sensitive to noise and human disturbance. Evidence shows mining activities – including heavy machinery and blasting – force rhinos to abandon their habitats, destroying the tourism models reliant on them. The Huab Conservancy serves as a cautionary tale: mining in the area led to the loss of tourism operations, community income, and conservation efforts – all without any meaningful benefit to the local population.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has condemned the illegal harvesting of the West Coast Rock Lobster and the indiscriminate targeting of its egg-bearing females. These illegal activities destroy millions of potential lobsters that could contribute to a sustainable marine ecosystem and could also provide much-needed economic opportunities to local communities.

Judge Collins Parker on Monday in the High Court in Windhoek struck down the counter-application of Ottilie Ndimulunde to an urgent court application by two communal conservation areas in the Kunene region, a traditional authority and tourism company. "The first respondent came to play rugby, but the game is a football game, so to speak," Parker argued in the court order, declaring the four applicants' case regarding a new road to a tin mine urgent. The four applicants are the conservation areas of Doro !

The conservation areas of Ûibasen, Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas strongly denies allegations of widespread support for the Goantagab tin mine at Khorixas. This follows allegations in local media reports that the local community supports the mining operations in the Sorris Sorris Conservation Area. "The claim that Ultimate Safaris independently opposes the mine is incorrect. Opposition to the mine is a joint effort by the conservation areas of Ûibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro !

Rhino poachers are becoming domesticated. Not only do they strike more during full moons, but they even poach during daylight. So says a despondent farmer in the Okahandja district who caught two men red-handed on his farm last Tuesday with rhino horns in their possession. He says in the past three weeks, rhino poachers have raided three locations in the central area, poaching and killing rhinos.

The High Court granted an interdict this week ?? which keeps Ottilie Ndimulunde from carrying out mining operations and building a road or anything else on her mine mines in the Khorixas area. The interdict will be valid pending the outcome of a review application to the Environment Commissioner against the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) issued. The Doro ! Nawas Conservation Area, Ûibasen Twyfelfontein Conservation Area, the ≠Aodaman Traditional Authority and the company Ultimate Safaris have brought an urgent application against Ndimulunde.