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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.

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.…

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…

The City of Windhoek says it will probe complaints that grass, trees and wood are being harvested illegally at Avis Dam. This comes after Namibia Media Holdings received a complaint and photos from a concerned Avis resident who said persons, who hold permits to harvest grass on Windhoek's side roads, apparently drove trucks full of grass and wood from the dam.

A rhino poacher was killed while another was injured during a shootout between an antipoaching unit and three rhino poachers on Saturday on a private farm about 120 km east of Windhoek. The injured poacher was arrested, and the third accomplice, who initially fled the scene, was arrested on Monday morning. Owner of Namibia Wildlife Protection, Salmon Vermaak, whose anti-poaching unit (APU) is stationed on the farm, said the team leader informed him about 11:30 on Saturday that they had spotted a poacher tracking a rhino cow and her calf.

Poor national governance and low law enforcement are said to be amongst the primary drivers of the lucrative global ivory trade, which continues to threaten the existence of African elephants, a study by the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Oxford University found. The study, which also listed low household wealth and health and global elephant ivory prices as other contributing factors, sought to uncover what might drive, facilitate or motivate continent-wide poaching.

Two Angolan men were arrested on Friday at the Orwetoveni township in Otjiwarongo for being in the possession of a pangolin skin valued at N$50 000. In a separate incident, a 31-year-old Namibian was arrested on Friday at Buffalo checkpoint in the Mukwe constituency (Kavango East region) for being in possession of two elephant tusks. The value thereof has not been determined.

Last year ended with one of the highest rhino poaching figures recorded in almost a decade. A total of 77 rhinos were poached in 2022 compared to 2021 when 45 rhinos were killed for their horns. Last year's figure is the third highest recorded since 2013, only surpassed by the 97 rhinos poached in 2015 and 84 killed by poachers in 2018.