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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 - 8 of 8
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
2025. Showdown in the Ookavango Delta.

Facing possible contempt of court charges for illegal elephant hunting in Botswana and violation of court interdicts, Dawie Groenewald's alleged proxy in Botswana, the now-disgraced former Justice Minister Ronald Machana Shamukuni and his dodgy shelf company DK Superior (PTY) Limited, are done and dusted.

Monday, 10 November 2025
2025. Minister Dion George welcomes continued success in combating Abalone trafficking.

Minister Dion George of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has welcomed the successful intelligence-driven operation that resulted in the confiscation of abalone worth over R3 million in Cape Town. The Minister commended the collaborative efforts of the South African Police Service's Operation Lockdown III and the Endangered Species K9 Unit, which uncovered a drying facility containing 6,400 units of abalone with an estimated street value of R3,520,000.

Saturday, 8 November 2025
2025. 37 rhinos have been poached this year.

After the most recent rhino poaching incident in the Omaruru area, the tourism ministry has confirmed that the national total of rhinos poached in 2025 now stands at 37. According to the ministry, a rhino carcass was discovered on private farmland near Omaruru earlier this week, with its horns brutally removed. Investigations are ongoing, and law enforcement units, including the police and the ministry's Anti-Poaching Unit, have been deployed to the area to track down the suspects.

Tuesday, 28 October 2025
2025. Namibia rises together after Dorsland rhino poaching.

The poaching of Dorsland, a black rhino cow in the Kunene Region, along with her calf and unborn calf, has united Namibians in grief and determination. What started as a heartfelt social media appeal over the weekend has quickly transformed into a nationwide movement, raising more than N$ 800 000 in just days to fund a N$1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The campaign launched over the weekend through Facebook has been driven by overwhelming public support, according to Ultimate Safaris.

Sunday, 26 October 2025
Guchu W 2025. Namibia's Red Mountain conflict deepens after rhino poaching incident.

Three community conservancies in north-western Namibia - Doro! Nawas, Sorris Sorris and Uibasen Twyfelfontein - reignited their opposition to mining inside the Red Mountain Joint Management Area after the discovery of a freshly poached black rhino. The incident has intensified long-standing tensions between conservation and mining interests in one of Namibia's most ecologically fragile and economically contested regions.

Thursday, 12 June 2025
Moser K 2025. Dehorning reduces poaching by 78 %.

While Namibia and other southern African countries are struggling to protect their rhinos from poaching, scientists are looking for solutions to make the rhino financially unattractive to poachers. According to a new research report published in Science magazine on June 5, dehorning is currently the most effective solution to prevent poaching. The team of scientists led by Kuiper, Haussmann and Whitfield found that dehorning rhinos leads to a drastic reduction in poaching compared to other measures.

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
2025. 15 rhinos poached this year.

Fifteen rhinos and one elephant have been poached this year. This was confirmed by the tourism ministry today. The ministry said that as part of their bi-annual report on wildlife crime and law enforcement, they will issue a detailed statement on the matter in June, including updates on poached animals, suspects arrested, items confiscated, and general crime prevention strategies put in place.

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
2025. N$160 000 award for rhino poaching.

Former tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta expressed his disappointment in the ministry's actions and communication regarding the latest rhino poaching in the Hardap Region. A white rhino cow was poached this weekend on a farm near Maltahohe, leaving behind a calf named Elsa orphaned. The calf was only found two days after the incident. A reward of N$160 00 has been issued for any information.

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