SEARCH
UPLOAD
ABOUT
CONTACTSearch results
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.
A Windhoek City Police constable was arrested on Friday for allegedly using a work car to transport suspected poachers and fresh meat from poached animals. It is alleged that he intentionally used a company car in order to pass through a police roadblock with minimal suspicion. As of Saturday, the officer had not yet been charged and is currently being held at the Seeis police cells outside Windhoek.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2024_05_Cop nabbed for transporting suspected poachers_Namibian Sun.pdf | 172.57 KB |
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2024_04_Rhino exports_Namibia considered a transit route_Namibian Sun.pdf | 328.01 KB |
A total of 707 suspects have been arrested in connection with rhino poaching between January 2023 and March of this year. Currently, 589 suspects are in custody awaiting trial, 91 suspects have been convicted, 21 are out on bail, five have been released, two were acquitted, and one suspect has died. Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta provided these statistics during his budget motivation for the 2024-2025 financial year.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2024_04_Hundreds behind bars for rhino poaching_Namibian Sun.pdf | 65.67 KB |
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2024_Urgent meeting called to discuss steep rise in rhino poaching_Namibian Sun.pdf | 71.82 KB |
Assets and goods seized and forfeited to the state during the finalisation of wildlife crime cases at special courts last year were valued at more than N$4 million. The seized items included illegal wildlife products, firearms and vehicles used in wildlife crimes. According to the Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement Report in Namibia, the judicial system faces a range of challenges in dealing with high rates of crime and ensuring justice is served; a central hurdle is a growing backlog of cases on the court rolls. "This has…
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2023_07_Special wildlife crime courts highly effective_Namibian Sun.pdf | 332.47 KB |
"Of the 2 442 suspects arrested since 2015, only 822 (33.7%) had been convicted by 15 May," a report said.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2023_07_Slow convictions impede poaching fight_Namibian Sun.pdf | 364.07 KB |
Rhinos were the most-targeted high-value species in Namibia during 2022, comprising 24% of all registered wildlife cases, with poaching losses at their highest since 2015. This according to the wildlife protection and law enforcement report for 2022, which indicated that a total of 430 wildlife cases were reported last year - of which 106 were rhino poaching cases.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2023_07_Poaching_rhinos the most targeted in 2022_Namibian Sun.pdf | 365.66 KB |
Trafficking of live plants, particularly rare and endemic succulents and pachycauls, has exploded as an illegal trade threatening rare species in Namibia. According to the Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement in Namibia report for 2022, the first cases were only registered last year. However, high volumes of live plants have already been seized and numerous suspects arrested. The report indicated that 11 cases were registered last year and 22 suspects were arrested, with two convictions.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NAM_2023_07_Trafficking of endemic Namibian succulents surges_Namibian Sun.pdf | 354.24 KB |