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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 - 20 of 20
Thursday, 30 September 2021
2021. Elefantenwilderei könnte wieder zunehmen.

Namibia hat einen starken Rückgang der Elefantenwilderei verzeichnet, insbesondere in den letzten acht Jahren. Nach Angaben des Umweltministeriums scheint die Elefantenwilderei jährlich zurückzugehen. 2014 wurden 78 Elefanten gewildert, 2017 wiederum 50. Während im Jahr 2016 bis zu 101 Elefanten gewildert wurden, waren es 2019 und 2020 nur noch 13 bzw. zwölf Elefanten. Der Sprecher des Ministeriums, Romeo Muyunda, erklärt, dass der Rückgang darauf zurückzuführen ist, dass die Strafverfolgungsbehörden strengere Maßnahmen gegen Wildtierkriminalität ergreifen.

Thursday, 30 September 2021
Hattingh E 2021. Ná virus kan stropers weer toeslaan: Olifantstropery op rekordlaagte.

Sodra die wêreld Covid-19 onder beheer kry, kan stropery - veral die stroping van olifante - weer die hoogte inskiet. Dit sal dan die opgeboude vraag na ivoor in die wêreld se swartmarkte moet inhaal. Mnr. Daniel Stiles, 'n onafhanklike ondersoeker wat dekades reeds spesialiseer in onwettige markte en handel in wild en wildprodukte, waarsku dat 'n onlangse styging in swartmarkprys vir ivoor in Viëtnam en China onrusbarende tekens is. Hy het die opmerkings in 'n verslag gemaak wat deel vorm van 'n reeks deur die Wêreldwye Inisiatief teen Transnasionale, Georganiseerde Misdaad (GI-…

Sunday, 26 September 2021
2021. Zim man jailed 2 years in Botswana for ivory possession.

A Zimbabwean man, who managed to get his lover off the hook after the pair was caught with two elephant tusks, has been jailed for two years in Botswana.

Sunday, 26 September 2021
2021. Zimbabwe - Hwange man arrested in possession of ivory worth US$2000.

Zimbabwe Republic Police in Hwange arrested Bokisi Augustine (33) at St Mary's Village for illegally possessing an elephant tusk weighing 11.79 kgs and valued at US$2000.

Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Motlhabane C 2021. Busted in the bush.

A man caught with a single elephant tusk during an unexpected run-in with the police in the bush two years ago will learn his fate next Thursday. Although he tried to hide the offending item beneath his jacket during his unplanned encounter with the cops, the big bulge gave Gaosego Emang Seipato away. The 35-year-old met his downfall on 3 May 2019, when he was rumbled by a police patrol who were actually on the lookout for illegal gold miners in the bushes between Matshelagabedi and BDF training centre on the outskirts of Francistown.

Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Motlhabane C 2021. 'Big-hearted' boyfriend jailed in elephant tusk takedown.

A big-hearted boyfriend who managed to get his lover off the hook after the pair were caught with two elephant tusks has been taken to task over the matter and jailed for two years. Zimbabwean native, Brian Ndlovu admitted to being in possession of the ivory, claiming he had been given the tusks by another man with the instruction to sell them. He was busted when police received a tip-off of a man trying to sell tusks at Tonota lands. Swooping into action on 22 January, the cops pounced to find Ndlovu in the presence of his girlfriend and home-girl, Mary Sibanda.

Friday, 17 September 2021
Mounombou S 2021. Gabon - four nationals caught with ivory.

Alain Moukombou, Romuald Kassa, Gervais Bamdjogo and Ralph Ngayïkoukoudié, all Gabonese nationals, were arrested on 14 September to Mulundu in Ogooué-Lolo, in possession of six ivory tusks. Placed in custody to view the premises of the Judicial Police (PJ) Koula-moutou, suspected traffickers face up to 10 years in prison.

Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Mosikare L 2021. Tenderpreneur pleads guilty to illegal ivory possession.

Franzistown: A tenderpreneur has pleaded with the court to be lenient when sentencing him after pleading guilty to illegal possession of an elephant tusk.

Saturday, 4 September 2021
2021. Malawi court set to sentence Chinese member in notorious wildlife criminal syndicate.

The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe has set 27 September, 2021, as the day for delivering judgement against a Chinese national, Yunhua Lin, who is answering charges of money laundering and rhino horn trafficking. Lin came to Malawi as an investor like many do but without proper screening and vetting, the country let in a criminal who is destroying our current and future economy. Lin is a member of one of Southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking syndicates, which has been operating out of Malawi for at least a decade.

Wednesday, 1 September 2021
2021. Kenya praises fight against poaching after animal census shows improvement.

Kenyan authorities have welcomed the progress made in the fight against poaching, after the publication Monday night of the first animal census conducted in the country, which should serve as a basis for improving environmental conservation. According to the data, Kenya has 36,280 elephants, among other things, a population that is up 21 percent from 2014, when poaching peaked.

Friday, 24 April 2020
2020. 'Filthy bloody business:' Poachers kill more animals as coronavirus crushes tourism to Africa.

Ryan Tate is supposed to be in South Africa right now helping to fight off poachers who hack horns off rhinos and kill elephants for their ivory tusks. But since the country announced a national lockdown in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Tate is stuck in the U.S. He can't join his team out in South Africa's wilderness and can't meet with private donors in the U.S. for his anti-poaching nonprofit organization, which is seeing donations dry up.

Tuesday, 21 April 2020
2020. Can tourism reverse the impact of poaching in Zambia and Zimbabwe?.

The effects of poaching and climate change are keenly felt In Zambia and Zimbabwe. This ecological
frontline is manned by innovative, but under-funded conservation units, with tourism supporting the survival
of some of Africa’s rarest species.

Thursday, 16 April 2020
Langa V 2020. Govt set to amend Wildlife Act to protect whistleblowers (Zimbabwe).

Parliament has recommended amendments to the Wildlife Act to provide protection for whistleblowers and ensure stiff penalties for those found in possession of cyanide, a dangerous chemical often used by poachers to poison elephants.

Monday, 13 April 2020
Towindo L 2020. Elephant poaching and illicit financial flows.

According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 322 elephants were killed by poachers between 2016 and 2019, largely for their tusks. These are then shipped out to Asia, via South Africa, but the real number may be much higher, according to wildlife groups. Much of the poaching occurs in northern Zimbabwe in game reserves straddling the border with Zambia, according to ZimParks, a statutory body responsible for managing the country’s wildlife population.

Wednesday, 8 April 2020
Shikongo A 2020. Wildlife crime arrests up in 2019.

Arrests for wildlife crime involving high-value species like elephants, rhinos and pangolins, increased by 36% in 2019 compared to the year before.

Tuesday, 7 April 2020
2020. Polizei stellt Pangolin-Panzer sicher.

Handel mit Wildtierprodukten: Behörden nehmen fünf Tatverdächtige in drei getrennten Fällen fest. Die Behörden haben am vergangenen Wochenende mehrere mutmaßliche Schmuggler mit illegalen Wildtierprodukten verhaftet. Das geht aus dem gestern in Windhoek veröffentlichten Polizeibericht hervor, der von fünf Festnahmen in drei getrennten Fällen berichtet. Es seien bei den Einsätzen insgesamt vier Schuppentier-Panzer, zwei Leopardenfelle und zwei Elefantenstoßzähne sichergestellt worden.

Monday, 6 April 2020
2020. Angolese glo met ivoor vasgtrek.

Drie Angolese mans en 'n Namibiër is Saterdag glo met twee olifanttande en ietermagôprodukte in die Akati-nedersetting by Outapi vasgetrek.

Three Angolan men and a Namibian were reportedly apprehended in the Akati settlement at Outapi on Saturday with two elephant teeth and pangolin products.

Friday, 3 April 2020
2020. 12 elephants, 45 rhinos poached in 2019.

During last year, an estimated 12 elephants and 45 rhinos were poached during 2019, the ministry of environment and tourism’s wildlife crime report of 2019 shows. The ministry seized 116 elephant tusks and 8 rhino horns during the year, however, the reported notes that the number of elephant tusks seized does not relate directly to the number of elephants killed in Namibia, as some tusks may originate from elephants killed in neighbouring countries. The year under review saw wildlife crime cases registered (high-value species only) at 174 with 92 cases related to…

Friday, 3 April 2020
Jantze Z 2020. Wildlife crime registered every day.

Wildlife crime has become one of the central conservation challenges in Namibia, with a total of 174 wildlife species poached in the country last year alone. This number signifies an increase, as 115 were poached in 2018.

Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Shikongo A 2020. Anti-poaching activities not affected by lockdown.

The ministry of environment says its anti-poaching activities will not be hindered by the rapidly spreading coronavirus, which has forced many countries, Namibia included, into a lockdown.

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