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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 7 of 7
Friday, 25 July 2025
Mthembu N 2025. One call saves distressed pangolin "Faith" from wildlife traffickers.

Rustenburg, South Africa (25 July 2025) – A life has been spared from continued suffering thanks to the compassion and quick action of an individual who chose to take action rather than turn away. In the heart of Seraleng, a kind community member spotted a young pangolin wandering in distress and immediately called the SPCA Rustenburg for help on Wednesday.

Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Nefdt A 2025. Anti-poacher on a mission to ramp up rhino protection.

In the Eastern Cape, Justin Terblanche is known for his love of rhinos. The anti-poacher shares that he's known as the 'Rhino Whisperer' in the area and that his life's mission lies in protecting the gentle giants who once roamed the Earth with far more freedom and in far greater numbers. "Losing [rhinos] would leave an irreplaceable void in the natural world," says Justin. "If we don’t act now, future generations may never see a rhino roaming wild." Working at Lombardini Game Farm, Justin has seen first-hand the impact of poaching. The land was once home to 19 rhinos.

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Lindeque B 2025. A gentle creature. A brutal trade. And finally, a reason to hope.

The tides may finally be turning for Pangolins, often referred to as one of the most exploited creatures on Earth. In a move that's sending waves through conservation communities, China has announced that it will remove Guilingji, a traditional medicine containing pangolin ingredients, from its official 2025 Pharmacopoeia. The decision, confirmed in the revised edition released on the 25th of March, signals a significant step forward in wildlife protection and aligns with a growing global push to end the use of endangered animals in medicine.

Wednesday, 5 February 2025
2025. Scientists inject radioactivity into rhino horns to deter poachers.

Scientists are testing a novel technique to deter poachers targeting endangered rhinoceros for their prized horns. As part of a pilot study in South Africa, researchers have injected small, radioactive pellets into the horns of live rhinos. The goal is to make the horns radioactive so there is less demand for them on the black market. About 20 rhinoceroses have been selected for the pilot study dubbed the Rhisotope Project. Among the tests is examining the rhinos' blood to ensure the animals are not being harmed.

Tuesday, 19 November 2024
2024. Endangered Egyptian Vultures return to South Africa in historic conservation milestone.

Two endangered Egyptian Vultures have landed in the Eastern Cape after a 16,600km journey, marking a pivotal step in a groundbreaking conservation effort to bring this species back from extinction in South Africa. Eastern Cape, South Africa (19 November 2024) – In a groundbreaking step for African wildlife conservation, a pair of endangered Egyptian Vultures has completed an epic 16,600-kilometre journey from San Diego to their new home in the Eastern Cape.

Friday, 8 November 2024
2024. More southern white rhino move as part of massive rewilding initiative!.

For the third time this year, a group of southern white rhinos have made a big move as part of an even bigger initiative that’s giving the future of their species hope! Rhino Rewild plans to move 2000 rhinos to safer locations in the next ten years, and they are well on their way.

Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Ngcobo N 2021. Concern over rise in poaching at PMB nature reserve.

"In the last couple of weeks, we found in certain areas a marked increase in the number of snares and a zebra was just left to rot where it had died, caught up in the snare." "We need to ask people to walk regularly and look for the snares. Quite often, they will set the snares and then they don't return in time to see if the animal has been caught in the snare and the animal is just left to rot." The Msunduzi Municipality has also raised concern about the rise in poaching at the reserve in recent weeks.

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