This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
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.
The Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) detained a national citizen for allegedly slaughtering elephants and selling ivory, in the municipality of Dembos, Bengo province, the director of the institutional communication and press office of the SIC-general, informed the Novo Jornal. of criminal investigation Manuel Halaiwa.
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ANG_2021_03_50 year old man arrested for ivory trafficking and elephant slaughter_Novo Jornal.pdf | 195.78 KB |
A 23-year-old villager from Sikabela on the outskirts of Victoria Falls town has been arrested after being found with two elephant tusks. Police and ZimParks rangers trapped Fredrick Ndlovu after getting a tip-off that he was selling the ivory at Lupinyu Business Centre near the Victoria Falls Airport.
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ZIM_2021_03_Villager arrested over elephant tusks_The Chronicle.pdf | 858.7 KB |
Developments in two major ivory trafficking cases in Tanzania are not what conservationists might have hoped for. The conviction of Boniface Mathew Malyango, known as "Shetani Hana Huruma" ("the Devil has no mercy" in Kiswahili), was hailed by conservation organisations as a victory in 2017, with one of East Africa's most notorious illegal ivory traders. However, his conviction was quietly overturned in mid-2020 - a development that was largely unreported in the press.
The police confiscated 110 pangolin scales when they arrested two men at Outapi on 7 March. The two Namibians, Nikodemus Kotekeni Hafeni Nicodemus and Simon Akwenye, were also found in the possession of one pangolin skin.
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NAM_2021_03_110 pangolin scales confiscated at Outapi_Namibian Sun.pdf | 294.36 KB |
The amount of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales intercepted by authorities in 2020 was far less than compared with the previous five years, according to analysis for National Geographic by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The coronavirus pandemic likely dampened both the ability of wildlife traffickers to move their products internationally and of law enforcement to detect them, according to the group, a U.S.
A clerk at St George's College in Harare appeared in court after he was arrested in the capital’s suburb of Budiriro, while attempting to trade raw ivory worth US$2 099.
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ZIM_2021_03_St Georges College clerk caught with ivory_The Herald.pdf | 287.27 KB |
Six suspects were arrested in connection with wildlife crimes and five new cases were registered recently, while five wildlife products were seized. Two suspects were arrested for rhino poaching or trafficking. Another suspect was arrested for elephant poaching or trafficking. This is according to information provided by the intelligence and investigation unit within the ministry of environment and tourism and the protection resources division within the safety and security ministry. On 28 February, Muronga Hamutima was arrested at Rundu for being in possession of a pangolin skin…
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NAM_2021_03_Six arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 278.82 KB |
TWO Karoi villagers have been dragged to court for illegal possession of an elephant tusk valued at US$1 467,10.
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ZIM_2021-03_Elephant Tusk Lands Karoi Villagers In Trouble_New Zimbabwe.pdf | 477.93 KB |
A total of 17 suspects were arrested in connection with wildlife crimes and nine new cases were registered last month, while 21 wildlife products were seized. This is according to information provided by the intelligence and investigation unit within the environment ministry and the protected resources division within the safety and security ministry. Wildlife products confiscated included three pangolin skins, two live pangolins, two elephant tusks, four elephant tusk pieces, two hippo teeth, five lechwe carcasses and a giraffe carcass.
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NAM_2021_03_17 arrested for wildlife crimes last month_Namibain Sun.pdf | 300.62 KB |
Es wurden acht neue Fälle der Wilderei und 14 Verhaftungen in diesem Zusammenhang für die vergangene Februar registriert. Das geht aus einem Statistikbericht des Umweltministeriums und der namibischen Polizei (NamPol) hervor. "Bei einem der Fälle handelt es sich um den illegalen Besitz von jeweils zwei Elefantenstoßzähnen und Nilpferdzähnen. Der Vorfall ereignete sich in Katutura und zwei Verdächtigte wurden verhaftet," so der Bericht. Der zweite Vorfall habe sich in Oshakati zugetragen, wo vier Teile von Stoßzähnen sowie auch Munition beschlagnahmt worden seien.
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NAM_2021_03_Wildtierkriminalitat im Februar_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 321.22 KB |
NAM_2021_03_Wildlife crime in February_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 319.21 KB |
A member of a notorious poaching gang from Zambia that plies their trade across the borders of three countries was arrested after getting involved in a shootout with a Namibian anti-poaching unit on the banks of Linyanti River. The shootout occurred on the Namibian side of the river last Thursday night and according to reports, one of the gang members was arrested. The suspected poacher is currently being held at the Katima Mulilo Police Station.
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NAM_2021_03_Multinational poacher arrested after firefight_Informante.pdf | 2.44 MB |
One suspected Zambian ivory poacher was arrested and four others escaped when they were ambushed by police in Namibia while trying to cross into wildlife-rich northern Botswana. The poachers were accosted by a Namibian border patrol unit on the Namibian side of the Linyanti River as they tried to cross into the Okavango Delta on Thursday night.
Die Namibiese polisie het verlede week op vyf olifanttande en een elk renosterhoring, ietermagôvel en ‘n voertuig beslag gelê.
Last week, Namibian police seized five elephant tusks and one rhinoceros horn, a pangolin skin and a vehicle.
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NAM_2020-06_5 olifanttande 1 renosterhoring gekonfiskeer_Republikein.pdf | 311.84 KB |
NAM_2020-06_5 pieces of ivory and rhino horn confiscated_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 219.59 KB |
One of the world’s most famous game reserves, Thula Thula in South Africa, has survived the Covid-19 pandemic without any loss of wild animal to poaching. Francoise Malby-Anthony, who runs the game reserve
said that she kept on all her anti-poaching staff throughout covid which prevented any animals being killed by poachers.
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SA-2020-06_COVID_19 elephant poaching_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 3.03 MB |
Geen afname in olifantstropery in Afrika. Ondanks nuwe navorsing deur Elephants Without Borders (EWB) wat aandui olifantstropery in Afrika toon sedert 2011 geen afname nie, is slegs twee olifante tot dusver vanjaar in Namibië gestroop. Volgens die woordvoerder van die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme, mnr. Romeo Muyunda, is slegs twee olifante sover in 2020 in onderskeidelik die Zambezi- en Kunenestreek gestroop.
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NAM_2020-06_Slegs twee olifante vanjaar gestroop_Republikein.pdf | 368.51 KB |
NAM_2020-06_Only two elephants were poached this year_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 367.22 KB |
New research led by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) reveals that poaching of African elephants for their ivory has not decreased since 2011 in Western, Southern, and Central Africa. As a result, continued efforts to combat poaching will be necessary to save elephant populations. The new study was published June 23rd in Scientific Reports, in collaboration from researchers at the University of Washington and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants.
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BOT_2020-06_Elephant poaching is not decreasing in Africa_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 99.31 KB |
Zimbabwe will not pull out of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in order to sell its stockpile of ivory tusks worth US$600 million, the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mangaliso Ndlovu, has said.
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ZIM_2020-06_Zimbabwe wont pull out of CITES_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 848.34 KB |
The Chama Subordinate Court has sentenced a poacher to seven years imprisonment for illegal possession of elephant ivory weighing 10 kilograms. Lovemore Nkhowani, 60, a former wildlife police officer, turned into a notorious elephant poacher nicknamed Mbanje, was charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of Prescribed Trophy, that is elephant ivory, contrary to section 130(1) of the Zambia wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015.
Umweltministerium setzt auf Nachhaltigkeit und bekämpft erfolgreich die Wilderei. Obwohl der Sektor als maßgebliches Wirtschaftsstandbein gehandelt wird, steht das Ministerium für Umwelt, Forstwirtschaft und Tourismus mit seinem Ausgabenplan im namibischen Haushalt für 2020-21 gerade Mal an 16. Stelle von insgesamt 33 Ausgabenposten. Der Minister verlässt sich indessen auf viel Hilfe aus Deutschland und von weiteren Entwicklungspartnern.
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NAM_2020-06_Große Plaene mit wenig Geldmitteln_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 368.36 KB |
NAM_2020-06_Big plans with little money_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 265.53 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has allocated 36% of its budget to wildlife and protected area management. This was announced by minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta during his budget motivation in the National Assembly on Thursday.
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NAM_2020-06_Wildlife gets bulk of environment budget_The Namibian.pdf | 755.58 KB |
Forestry Commission officials in Victoria Falls last week recovered oranges, cucumbers and amarula fruits in a plastic bag laced with cyanide poison. It is suspected that some poachers left them hanging on a tree in a bid to kill elephants in the forest. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.
The Chinese Academy of Engineering claims that the 'legal' wildlife industry is valued at $74 billion. South Africa is the largest exporter of live wild animals to Asia. At least 5 035 live wild animals were exported from South Africa to China between 2016 and 2019, according to The Breaking Point report published by the EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading (BAT).
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SA_2020-06_The Breaking Point_Could this report spell the end of SAs wildlife trade_IOL.pdf | 187.55 KB |
Namibia has managed to arrest more than 1,790 suspected poachers of high valued and iconic species such as rhino and elephant at the end of 2018 up to May 2020, an official said this week.
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NAM_2020-06_More than 1790 poaching suspects netted over 2 years_Namibia Economist.pdf | 613.72 KB |
A rhino horn, two elephant tusks, a pangolin skin and a crocodile skin were seized by the police last week. Thirteen suspects were arrested in connection with rhino poaching or trafficking and two for elephant poaching or trafficking. Five wildlife products were seized: a rhino horn, two elephant tusks, a pangolin skin and a crocodile skin.
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NAM_2020-06_17 arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 235.64 KB |
Serious crimes are being committed in Namibia - crimes against our precious wildlife, our natural heritage and, ultimately, our people. The criminal syndicates behind poaching are highly organised, professional and very clever. They are growing rich by stealing Namibia’s natural heritage, using poor Namibians to do their dirty work for them in return for less than 10% of the product’s market value. Those poaching on the ground thus bear all the risks associated with illegal activities, yet see precious little of the profit.
Ten wildlife products were seized, which included six rhino horns, two elephant tusks and two giraffe carcasses. A total of seven new wildlife crimes were reported recently, while 16 suspects were arrested. Eleven of the suspects were arrested in connection with rhino poaching and/or trafficking cases, while two others were arrested for elephant poaching and/or trafficking.
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NAM_2020-06_16 arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 198.26 KB |
The Ministry and the UNDP said biodiversity is especially significant to Namibia with about 70% of people depending on natural resources based productive systems for survival. "Even though many livelihoods depend on the environment, more needs to be done to safeguard and foster its ability to sustain livelihoods," they said. According to the two, poaching is one of the biggest threats to the country’s natural environment as it threatens the population of our iconic wildlife species such as elephants and rhinos.
The report, which is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's intelligence and investigations unit and the protected resources division of the Namibian Police, detailed that the seven cases saw the arrest of 16 suspects. All those apprehended are Namibian nationals. Of those arrested, 11 were in connection with rhino poaching or trafficking, two in connection with elephant poaching or trafficking, two for the hunting of giraffe, and one for contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act. Among the wildlife products seized were six rhino…
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NAM_2020-06_16 Namibians nabbed for Wildlife crime_The Namibian.pdf | 636.08 KB |
The former head of the global convention on international wildlife trade says that current rules surrounding legitimate enterprise “don’t cut it” to prevent future pandemics and that wildlife crime should be confronted with the same international legal force that tackles human trafficking and terrorism. John Scanlon served as Secretary-General of the Secretariat overseeing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 2010 until 2018. CITES is affiliated with the United Nations Environment Programme…
Poachers in Africa are encroaching on wildlife and killing rhinos in travel hotspots now devoid of visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism revenue for some of Africa’s wildlife reserves and national parks has declined sharply as a result of the coronavirus crisis.