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The Itezhi -Tezhi Magistrates' Court in Southern Province has convicted and slapped a five year jail sentence with hard labour on a 51-year-old man for being found in possession of Ivory. Particulars were Shamazongo on 15th September 2023, in Itezhi -Tezhi had in his possession a prescribed trophy namely 10.4 kilograms of Ivory without a certificate of authority from the Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

Vietnamese syndicates play an outsized, sophisticated role in the illicit trade of elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, pangolin scales, and other wildlife products, according to a recent undercover investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency that details sourcing, packing, and transporting ivory and rhino horn through an intricate maze of transport routes out of various African ports to Malaysia, then through Laos, and finally overland into Vietnam. The numbers are staggering.

Pangolin poaching for enhanced sexual pleasure on the increase. The Commander of Botswana Defence Force, Lieutenant General Placid Segokgo, has warned that poaching will continue to be part of our lives for as long as some countries in Asia cling to their beliefs that some organs of wild animals give them sexual powers. Addressing journalists at a recent press briefing, Segokgo said, “There are some people in the East who believe that consuming or applying samples of organs such as horns, teeth, or even skins enhance their sexual…

A male elephant was shot eight times during a trophy hunt before eventually succumbing to its injuries on 3 September 2023. Humane Society International is now looking at the legal options it can pursue. The animal welfare group said the issuing of the permit by Limpopo to hunt the animal was unlawful because of an court interdict in place. "The elephant suffered through eight gunshots over an extended period of time before finally succumbing to his injuries.

Authorities in Gabon have dismantled a broad network of international ivory traffickers who smuggled ivory from Gabon to Cameroon and onto lucrative Asian markets. The operation involved the Gabonese judicial police and government directorates of forestry and wildlife, with the support of the NGO Conservation Justice.

Two accused persons have appeared in court following their arrest by detectives for allegedly trying to unlawfully dispose off an elephant hide for US$1,500.

The Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Johannesburg and K9 Unit Johannesburg arrested three men who were driving a Nissan Almera loaded with ivory tusks around the Bruma area in Johannesburg. Three suspects, aged between 33 and 35, were arrested on Wednesday in Bruma, Johannesburg, by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Johannesburg and K9 Unit Johannesburg for the illegal possession of elephant tusks.

Building on last year's donation of four Bat Hawk surveillance aircraft to South African National Parks (SANParks) to aid surveillance, conservation and anti-poaching efforts in the Kruger National Park, Anglo American Platinum this morning donated another Bat Hawk that will be going to SANParks' Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape. In addition, a Bat Hawk aircraft will be donated to Mapungubwe National Park, which is located on the border of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

The defence team representing three men accused of the illegal possession of, and dealing in two large elephant tusks worth about N$104 000, argued that there is no law in Namibia stating that a person is required to get a dealers permit when a permit to possess that product exists. Dirk Vermeulen (50), Edgar Clarke (41) and Michael Lusse (60) were arrested at Walvis Bay in 2019 during a sting operation involving the Namibian Police's Protected Resources Unit after they intended to sell the two tusks.

Two suspects have been arrested at the Meru National Park for being in possession of five elephant tusks weighing 28 kilos with a street value of Sh2.8 million.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with wildlife crimes in six separate cases from 18 April to 25 April, while 10 illegal wildlife products were confiscated.

Kenya Wildlife Service has arrested a suspected poacher in possession of an elephant tusk at Elerai area in Tsavo West National Park. The tusk is suspected to be one of the two extracted from an elephant which was killed at Losoito in Tsavo West National Park, close to a month ago.

It is imperative that African countries as a continent recognise that we are faced with a similar issue, rhino poaching as a Wildlife crime. According to the non-profitable organization Save the Rhino Trust, Namibia holds almost a third of Africa's black rhino population, with a stronghold for the South Western black rhino subspecies. The ever-present threat of rhino poaching haunts the future of the black rhino in Namibia and this depends largely on our nation’s ability to protect this important rhino population.

This week, an elephant trampled a suspected poacher to death in the Kruger Park after he ran in to a breeding herd trying to escape rangers. Another three suspected poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP), this time in the Crocodile Bridge section at the south end of the almost 20,000km² reserve.

A Karoi magistrate has cleared two Karoi villagers for charges of unlawful possession of raw ivory valued at US$1 467,10. Whynos Dzotso (23) and Knowledge Nyamukondiwa (25) who both reside under Chief Kazangarare, Karoi were this Tuesday acquitted by Magistrate Felix Chauromwe who made the ruling following the defence's application for discharge at the close of the state case.

A Kwale County government officer has been arrested by police officers after being found in illegal possession of 12 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 35 Kg in Matuga sub-county. The 53-year-old county employee, Josphat Mtoi Kuri, works as a clerical officer in Kinango Sub County was arrested inside a local guest house by a team of security officers drawn from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Criminal Investigation Department Officers who have been trailing him for some days.

A Dete man has been arrested after being found with seven elephant tusks. ZimParks rangers ambushed Delight Moyo of Dopota village after getting a tip-off by a ranger Phinos Mudenda that some people were in possession of ivory.

A Retired Italian Diplomat, Diego Marino Enrico has been arrested and is presently under detention at the Jinja Road Police Station after his house was searched and over 5 Kilograms of Ivory discovered. 

According to the Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report for 2020, rhino crimes accounted for most arrests during the past year, with 145 suspects having been detained. "A significant number of these were pre-emptive arrests, where suspects were caught before they could kill a rhino. This is not only a highly commendable law enforcement success, but also a very positive conservation outcome. Pre-emptive arrests have directly saved numerous rhinos and will allow the population to continue to multiply," the report stated.

Although wildlife crime is ultimately driven by demand in consumer countries, Namibians continue to make up over 90% of arrested wildlife crime suspects in country. This according to the environment ministry and police’s Annual Wildlife Crime Report for 2020. A massive 91% of the 304 suspects arrested for wildlife crimes of high value species in last year were Namibians. Suspects from neighbouring countries made up the rest of the arrests and included Angolans (5%), Zimbabweans (4%) and Batswana (0.4%).

Fälle der Wilderei sind im vergangenen Jahr zurückgegangen - Schuppentiere "am meisten" gehandelt. Mehr als 300 Personen wurden im vergangenen Jahr wegen Wildtierverbrechen an hochwertigen Arten festgenommen. Die geringste Anzahl gemeldete Fälle wird im Zusammenhang mit der Nashorn-Wilderei, die höchste Anzahl wiederum im Zusammenhang mit dem Handel von Schuppentieren verzeichnet.

Die voorkoms van wildmisdaad, veral rakende renosters, olifante en ietermagôs het in 2020 gedaal, maar steeds is ’n derde van alle inhegtenisnemings verwant aan dié hoë waarde spesies. Volgens 2020 se wildmisdaadverslag is 31% minder sake aanhangig gemaak, asook 31% minder verdagtes as in 2019 in hegtenis geneem. Altesaam 145 verdagtes is in verband met renosterstropery of horingsmokkelary in hegtenis geneem, maar in 2020 is op meer renosterhorings (21) beslag gelê as die 13 in 2019.

Pangolin was the most trafficked high-value protected species according to the 2020 Annual Report on the Combatting of Wildlife Crime released last week. According to the report, only one pangolin of the 74 seized by the law enforcement agencies was alive while 129 of these nocturnal animals were poached in 2019. The report emphasised that law enforcement relating to pangolin poaching and trafficking represent a major challenge because the animals are largely collected opportunistically. However, transboundary intelligence collaboration has led to the…

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) wildlife crime statistics indicate that three new cases of wildlife crime were opened and seven suspects arrested from 29 March 2021 to 06 April 2021. Statistics availed to Nampa on Thursday indicate that six suspects were arrested for rhino poaching, including cases of conspiracy of rhino poaching. One suspect was arrested for alleged elephant poaching and trafficking. One rhino carcass and two elephant tusks were recovered during the period under review, while two firearms were seized.

Five people including three policemen have ended up in hot soup over possession of wildlife trophies including elephant ivory. According to Bashir Hangi, the Public Relations Manager at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the suspects were arrested in two different incidences in Kampala and Kapelabyong in Teso sub region.