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A key motion under consideration at the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress would create guidelines for managing the wildlife pet trade, and that’s key because across the world, millions of live animals - mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians - are taken from the wild every year. The illegal and unsustainable wildlife pet trade depends on the appeal of live animals whose capture leaves forests and grasslands silent, stripped of the pollinators, seed dispersers and predators that keep ecosystems functioning.

The Swakopmund poachers are at it again, and they have become even more dangerous in their recklessness by strewing the C-28 with metal spikes to deter any would-be pursuers. A local farmer found this out the hard way when driving along the C-28, the road via Goanikontes and the Bossau Pass to Windhoek when he lost two tyres to these spikes. Seems that the poachers also discarded their shoes along the way, which tells us they have been walking deep into the farms along the C-28 to do their poaching.

Nairobi - The National Police Service (NPS) officers, in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), have arrested two suspects in Maralal Town, Samburu County, for possession of elephant tusks valued at approximately Sh1.1 million. According to a statement from the NPS, the joint operation was conducted on Sunday, following an intelligence-led mission by officers from Samburu Central Sub-County. The two suspects were intercepted while transporting seven pieces of elephant tusks weighing about 11.33 kilograms, which had been concealed inside a bag.

He has been patrolling Gqeberha's coastline for nearly 18 months, and in that time Zeus, a Belgian Malinois, has made an undeniable impact on the illegal perlemoen trade that plagues Nelson Mandela Bay.

Nairobi, Kenya: Eleven cheetah cubs were rescued from illegal trade in Somaliland in what a conservationist described on Thursday as "one of the largest confiscations of the species." The cubs were packed in bags that resembled sacks of potatoes and were being transported in a small dhow off the Somaliland coast at Berbera when the local coast guard intercepted them on Sunday. Two locals and three Yemenis were arrested during the rescue operation, and the cheetahs were taken to a rescue center owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, or CCF.

In recent years, traders in west Africa have used social media to advertise wild meat directly and connect with customers. Platforms like TikTok and Facebook act as online storefronts linked to physical markets, enabling sellers to reach much larger audiences than they would have by selling at traditional stalls. This change is bringing new, often urban, buyers into the market and altering how wild meat is sold and the overall scale of the trade. A screenshot of a wild meat TikTok channel. Supplied We are wildlife researchers studying the trade in wild animals in west Africa.

Two people, aged 17 and 25, have been arrested by members of an anti-poaching unit of Etosha National Park and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism after they were allegedly found in possession of carcasses of protected game and huntable game birds valued at N$91 800. The incident happened at Oshivelo in the Oshikoto region on Saturday. A police spokesperson on Sunday said the suspects are expected to appear in the Tsumeb Magistrate's court on Monday.

EAGLE Côte d'Ivoire - 2 traffickers arrested with 32kg ivory. The ivory, concealed in a rice sack, was trafficked from Liberia. The Burkina Faso National trafficker denounced the other for being a known big ivory trafficker.

In a challenging, two-day operation, SWT/KWS Sky Vets treated two snared coastal topis on the northern coast of Kenya. These highly endangered creatures face numerous threats, including bushmeat poaching - the very reason they were snared.

Poaching continues to put at risk the survival of the Giant Sable Antelope, an emblematic species and national symbol of Angola. The warning was made this Thursday by the coordinator of the conservation project of the Kissama Foundation, Pedro Vaz Pinto, during the ceremony that marked the 30 years of existence of the initiative. The expert stressed that the antelope, considered the rarest in the world, remains on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "critically endangered".

Mortalities at poisoned carcasses significantly contribute to the population decline of many vulture species. As vultures employ social strategies and follow each other in their search for food, one poisoned carcass can kill hundreds of individuals of endangered species such as the white-backed vulture.

An African nation has enacted a policy to curb illegal fishing and ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry for years to come. As New Era Live reported, Namibia has reduced its bycatch limit from 5% to 2% in an effort to protect marine life. The government has also opted to increase penalties to deter violators. Bycatch limits are the maximum amounts of species that can be caught unintentionally during fishing operations. These limits are often designed to minimize the impact of fishing on vulnerable populations and ecosystems.

Mozambican police have arrested a person trying to sell four elephant tusks in Mágoè, Tete province, central Mozambique, a source from the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has said. "This is an arrest in flagrante delicto, which occurred in Mágoè district, where this individual was in possession of four ivory tips, weighing approximately 22 kilograms," Sernic spokesperson in Tete, Celina Roque, told media.

Yokohama - Tanzania and Kenya have announced a joint bid to champion digital public infrastructure, a regional command and control centre to address human-nature conflicts in Africa, as per the Lusaka Agreement Known officially as the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations directed at Illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, it is a treaty focused on combating illegal wildlife trade.

As delegates at a two-day indaba reached for solutions to human-elephant conflict, there were many who were happy to reach for their guns. At the Southern African Elephant Indaba at Bonamanzi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal last week, landowners, provincial officials, conservationists, academics and some NGOs gathered for two days of fierce debate. The meeting was framed as a search for a solution to human/elephant conflict (HEC), but from the opening sessions a deeper tension was clear: was this about people’s real struggles, or about justifying a return to widespread culling and…

In the forests of Cameroon, a single conservation program has seized 1,392 kg of bushmeat, arrested 25 poachers, and destroyed 260 hunting camps, yet hunting pressure resumes whenever enforcement resources are withdrawn. This pattern, repeated across Africa, reveals the fundamental challenge facing wildlife conservation: economic incentives consistently outweigh protection measures when conservation efforts fail to address the underlying livelihood dependencies that drive wildlife exploitation.

Namibia is pinning its hopes on the upcoming COP20 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for approval to legally sell a portion of its ivory stockpile. The summit will take place in Uzbekistan from 24 November to 5 December. According to the proposal, Namibia currently has just over 92 386 kg of ivory, valued at about N$166 million. The ivory was stockpiled via population management and seizures, in roughly equal parts. Namibia does not destroy its ivory.

When birds become entangled, the fishing line often becomes tight, stopping the flow of blood, resulting in swelling and eventually foot or toe loss. This also means that the entangled birds can no longer roost on tree branches at night as they no longer have the capability to clasp onto the branch when the wind blows.

Namibia has sought permission from European nations in its bid to legally sell a stockpile of elephant ivory worth N$166 million, ahead of a crucial vote at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The conference, scheduled for 24 November to 05 December 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, will bring global attention to the debate over ivory trade, conservation, and international cooperation.

Many times a week, CapeNature compliance officers and SAPS units chase down plant poachers - some driven by economic hardship, others by profit - supplying a market for ornamental conversation pieces in homes around the world. Whether buyers realise it or not, the trade has cascading ecological impacts and undermines tourism livelihoods. Between April and June 2025, CapeNature - the public institution responsible for biodiversity conservation in the Western Cape - registered 12 biodiversity crime cases. Eight involved flora (plant life), while four related to fauna (animal life…

Wildlife authorities in Ngamiland have expressed concern over the alarming involvement of public servants in poaching activities in the region. The illegal hunting by these officers is said to mostly occur while they are on official duty in areas with abundance of wild animals and while using government vehicles. This worrying surge has reportedly reached the District Commissioner’s office who is said to have early this year summoned some heads of departments to express his concern.

THE Namibian police are relentlessly searching for still-unknown suspects who on Friday entered the Namib Naukluft National Park in the Sesriem policing area of the Hardap Region and killed eight oryx valued at N$36,000 without a valid hunting permit. According to the police, the suspects, who entered the park in a vehicle, are wanted for hunting huntable game without a permit and for hunting on state land. The Namib Naukluft National Park is of great importance due to its unique desert environment, diverse wildlife, and rich geological and historical significance.

Two Burundian nationals have been charged in a Mombasa court with illegal possession and trade in elephant tusks in an intensified crackdown on wildlife trafficking. Gakiza Sulemani and Nkunubumwe Celecius appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo on Monday, facing charges of dealing in 27 pieces of elephant tusks without a permit. According to the charge sheet, the tusks - classified as trophies from endangered species - weighed approximately 62.85 kilograms and had an estimated market value of Sh12,570,000.

Conservation organizations are employing Cabo Verdeans, who formerly hunted endangered and threatened sea turtles, as rangers who now monitor and patrol beaches. From 2007-24, illegal catches of female turtles on one island plummeted from 1,253 to a mere 20, while nesting sites of vulnerable loggerhead turtles increased sevenfold, according to data by a conservation NGO.

Namibia is pinning its hopes on the upcoming COP20 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for approval to legally sell some of its ivory stocks. A formal proposal has already been submitted. The summit will take place in Uzbekistan from November 24 to December 5. According to the proposal submitted by Namibia, the country currently has just over 92 386 kg of ivory with a value of about N$166 million. The ivory comes from population management and seizures, about half each. Namibia does not destroy its ivory.

The illegal mining of mica is believed to continue within the Dorob National Park in the Namib, despite a reported government investigation and fines issued earlier this year. Tourism operators, environmentalists and residents allege increasing environmental damage, lax enforcement and deliberate evasion in the licensing process allegedly linked to the exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) 10877. According to a reliable source, an investigation was carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) in February 2025.

This comprehensive tool provides a summary of the Philippine Anti-money Laundering (AML) legal framework and practical guidance on basic financial investigations, evidence gathering and case development. Wildlife crimes are motivated by money, and most involve transactions with indelible records in financial systems. Financial investigation can be used to provide intelligence and evidence of criminality and support confiscation of assets.

New research identifies 10,443 critically endangered species worldwide, with effective protection strategies available if funding and political will follow. More than 1,500 species, or 15% of the critically endangered species, are estimated to have fewer than 50 mature individuals remaining in the wild. Just 16 countries hold more than half of all critically endangered species, with concentrations across the Caribbean islands, Atlantic coastal regions of South America, the Mediterranean, Cameroon, Lake Victoria, Madagascar and Southeast Asia.

Two suspected illegal hunters were arrested in the Otjiwarongo policing area on Saturday. Two other suspects were apprehended Friday near Kalkfeld, while three managed to flee. Both cases involved the illegal hunting of an oryx. According to the police, two suspects aged 26 and 41 were arrested Saturday during an operation conducted in collaboration with members of the neighbourhood watch. They were found at a T-junction of the Otjiwarongo/Otavi main road while in possession of six 50kg bags full of dried oryx meat valued at N$6,000.

Ten years have passed since the massive increase in rhino and elephant poaching drastically changed wildlife conservation and law enforcement in Namibia. The number of registered cases of wildlife crime and the associated arrests decreased again in most categories in 2024 compared to the previous year. "This could indicate a decrease in crime or be due to a lower clearance rate," according to the "Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement" report by the Ministry of Environment and the Namibian Police for 2024. The total number of registered cases fell by 14%, the number of arrests…

Illegal activities that pose significant challenges in most of Africa include habitat loss through charcoal production, illicit harvesting of timber, poaching of wildlife, and overfishing of water resources. In the Lugenda Wildlife Reserve (LUWIRE) within the Niassa Special Reserve of northern Mozambique, these issues are being addressed head-on.

The smallest tortoise in the world lives on South Africa's west coast, and a button-shaped succulent endemic to a tiny area of the Northern Cape can be found nowhere else in the world. But the area's unique fauna and flora are under threat from poaching, mining, farming, and climate change.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has granted a presidential pardon to Lin Yunhua, a Chinese national sentenced to 14 years in prison for wildlife trafficking. Lin was among 37 inmates who received a presidential pardon as part of Malawi's 61st independence anniversary celebrations on July 6. Conservationists have since expressed their disappointment, warning that Lin's pardon might demotivate frontline officers working to protect Malawi's wildlife.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a shipment containing 10,603 donkey penises, presumed headed for China, highlighting the scale of illicit wildlife trafficking through the country’s borders, The Cable has reported. The 40-foot container was seized on June 5 along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway, following an intelligence-led operation. According to a briefing by customs officials, the seizure was executed by the Special Wildlife Office in collaboration with the Customs Intelligence Unit.

Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted a 40-foot container loaded with donkey genitals along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, the Service said on Thursday. The interception, suspected to be destined for illegal export, was uncovered on Friday, June 5, 2025, at about 9 pm following a coordinated surveillance operation by officers of the Special Wildlife Office and Customs Intelligence Unit. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

In its 2024 annual report, the Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) organisation says last year was marked by both hardship and meaningful progress in desert-adapted elephant conservation. "It was a year of learning and growth that reinforced our motivation to create lasting impact for elephants and communities we work with,” EHRA's managing director, Rachel Harris, notes in the foreword of the report. She added that the prolonged drought brought new challenges for EHRA: "In response to the drought, the government announced a controversial wildlife cull.

The Namibian Police in the Kunene Region have arrested a 41-year-old suspect who allegedly used a steel wire to trap a black-faced impala in the Otjimbundu village of the Ehomba policing area. The crime was discovered when a game guard went to count the impalas and found one impala, valued at N$6,500, trapped with a wire around its neck and fighting for its life. It eventually died.

But there's a hidden crisis unfolding across Africa that dwarfs these headlines. Every single day, across every habitat. While around 20,000 elephants are killed annually for ivory. Millions of African animals disappear into the bushmeat trade. This is bushmeat hunting, and it's happening everywhere. The Congo Basin alone consumes up to 4 million tons of wildlife every year. Scientific research has identified 301 mammal species threatened by bushmeat hunting. From common antelope to zebras to iconic species, nothing is safe.

Kruger rangers face armed poachers daily while investigating elephant killings and recent poaching camps in a 2-million-hectare wilderness. Rangers undergo six-week intensive training, including 15km bush patrols and survival skills, but job opportunities are limited by budget constraints

President Lazarus Chakwera is facing a torrent of criticism after controversially pardoning two convicted Chinese wildlife traffickers, in what civil society leaders and environmentalists have branded a shameful betrayal of Malawi's fight against corruption, wildlife crime, and executive accountability.

Three male suspects, aged between 30 and 46, were apprehended by the police in Mariental on Saturday while they were allegedly looking for a buyer for an elephant tusk they had in their possession. One of the suspects was shot during the arrest and was initially taken to the local hospital, but was afterwards transferred to a hospital in Windhoek for further treatment. The three suspects are accused of dealing in controlled wildlife products without a permit, disguising the origin of unlawful property, and assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of illegal activities.

Rangers say poachers are starving young men who kill animals for meat, not traditional medicine, and dry the meat inside the park. More than 120 vultures were poisoned after eating meat from a dead elephant laced with toxic chemicals used by poachers. Hungry and desperate, people living near Kruger National Park are turning to poaching to survive. About 80% of the population in the area depend on illegal hunters who sneak into the park to kill wild animals for food. The meat is either eaten or sold to local butchers who pass it on to poor community members at low prices.

Two men have been arrested for trying to sell elephant tusks worth R200,000 in Limpopo. The suspects, brothers Peter and Phanuel Mokgalaka, were caught during a police sting in Selwane Village outside Phalaborwa on Wednesday. The operation was led by the Hawks in Limpopo, with help from the Sani Sand Nature Reserve and the Kruger National Park's Environmental Crime Investigation unit. Police got a tip-off that the men were selling ivory. Officers contacted them and pretended to be buyers. The brothers agreed to meet the supposed buyers in Selwane.

The leaders of a prolific Chinese wildlife trafficking gang have been pardoned in Malawi, sparking concern that renewed poaching will help spread diseases including coronaviruses. Lin Yunhua and his wife Qin Hua Zhang, who led the notorious Lin-Zhang syndicate that operated across southern Africa, were among 15 people sentenced to jail as part of a major crackdown on ivory trafficking.

A male elephant has been killed by poachers in Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has said. The carcass was discovered in the Main Camp area of the park with one tusk missing and flesh removed from its leg. ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said the jumbo might have been dead for about two days at the time of discovery. He said a distinctive shoe spoor was found at the scene, and a joint investigation with the Zimbabwe Republic Police is now underway.

In the wild heart of Africa there is a dwindling group of savannah elephants so traumatised by decades of war, poaching and conflict with humans, that when they see a helicopter, they don't run away, they charge. While the choppers are a means of providing vital conservation measures, such as collaring programmes to monitor under-threat animals for their own protection, these majestic animals have learned to defend themselves in an area so wracked with human conflict it’s been dubbed the "Triangle of Death".

The Mongu High Court has sentenced Phinius Guga to five years imprisonment for the illegal possession of elephant ivory, overturning an earlier acquittal by the Sesheke Magistrate Court. Mr. Guga was initially arrested on 6 November 2022, in Sichili, Mwandi District, Western Province, after Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) officers discovered two pieces of elephant ivory weighing 6.1 kg concealed in a locked laptop bag in the boot of his motor vehicle.

Kruger National Park officials have raised the alarm over a mass poisoning that killed over 120 vultures, calling it one of the worst in recent years and warning it could push the endangered species towards extinction. Rescue teams managed to save 81 vultures through an unprecedented joint operation. Experts warn that the poison used - an organophosphate so lethal it's nicknamed 'two-step' - poses severe risks to humans, pets and water systems, with even trace exposure potentially fatal.

A 73-year-old man was reportedly arrested for illegal hunting at Otjomupanda village on Friday. According to a police crime report issued on Sunday, the incident occurred around 14:40 during a joint police operation. It is alleged that police conducted a search at the suspect’s residence, where they discovered a kudu carcass valued at N$6,000. A rifle believed to have been used in the poaching incident was also reportedly found at the scene.

A middle aged woman will serve a 12 years jail term after a Kabarnet court found her guilty of trading in wildlife trophies. Esther Chebii, appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate (SRM) Edwin Mulochi for the offence which occurred on May 27, 2023 at around 6pm at Kabarnet town in Baringo central sub-county, where she was nabbed with five pieces of elephant tusks weighing 15.7 kilograms and 105 pieces of pangolin scales weighing two kilograms with a street value of Sh 2.37 million.