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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 - 5 of 5
Thursday, 9 April 2026
2026. SAPS clerk charged for trying to sell lion cubs.

Johannesburg - A Police administrative clerk and a 36-year-old man have appeared in court after attempting to sell four stolen lion cubs for R100,000 each. The two and a 14-year-old minor were arrested on Thursday. 51-year-old Mokete Elizabeth Dikoko, who is attached to the Bothaville SAPS, and co-accused Elias Moloi appeared in the Bothaville Magistrate’s Court in the Free State. They face charges under the Environmental Management Biodiversity Act. The pair was arrested following a sting operation after authorities received information about the illegal sale.

Thursday, 22 January 2026
Saradhi T 2026. Vanishing wild: The battle against illegal wildlife trade.

Illegal wildlife trade is a growing global crisis and the largest direct threat to the future of many of the worl's most threatened species. Recent UN data (2015-2021) shows around 4,000 species impacted, including 3,250 listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). With an estimated annual value of up to $20 billion, it is the fourth most lucrative criminal enterprise in the world.

Friday, 9 May 2025
2025. Global demand for small wildlife on the increase.

The global demand for small wildlife, including ants, spiders and scorpions, is increasing. Just this week, a group of Belgians and Vietnamese were sentenced for smuggling ants out of Kenya. Dr Caswell Munyai, a myrmecologist from UKZN has more on this.

Monday, 27 January 2025
2025. Rhino poaching - SANParks welcomes hefty court sentences.

Johannesburg - SANParks is welcoming hefty sentences handed to rhino poachers by the Skukuza Regional Court. Four men, including a former field ranger, were arrested in Skukuza in 2019 following a tip-off. Poaching equipment and a set of rhino horns were seized.

Wednesday, 4 August 2021
Robinson D 2021. Rhino, elephant poaching continues to decline in Africa.

Rhino and elephant poaching continues to decline in Africa, most likely due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and enhanced protection efforts. This is particularly the case in Namibia, as well as Zimbabwe and Tanzania, bringing hope to a species plagued by intensive poaching over the past few decades.

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