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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 19 of 19
Thursday, 30 March 2023
David M 2023. No more poaching in Etosha, says Sakaria.

Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, the Oshana Regional Police Commander, was recently named the Gold Commander for the Etosha National Park Anti-poaching Safety and Security squad. Sakaria was named on March 23 and will, for the next six months, be in charge of directing the joint Nampol/NDF operational work in the Etosha National Park. He said that he will concurrently be in charge of the Oshana Region and also the anti-poaching operations in Etosha. "I have already been to Etosha, rotated the personnel and properly briefed them," he said.

Thursday, 30 March 2023
Ndeyanale E 2023. I can't guarantee you will leave Etosha alive.

Oshana police commissioner Naftal Sakaria says armed poachers found in the Etosha National Park should surrender to the police or they will be shot. Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo last week appointed Sakaria as the commander of the anti-poaching unit in Etosha National Park for a period of six months. While in this position, he will also remain the Oshana regional commander. Sakaria is tasked with commanding the police and military forces deployed in the flagship park to protect animals, especially iconic animals such elephants and rhinos, from being poached.

Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Moyo-Ndlovu T 2023. Two arrested for possessing ivory.

Two Bulawayo men have been arrested for allegedly possessing ivory with a market value of over US$2 000.

Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Manyinyire T 2023. Private rangers recover 24 pangolins, 118 elephant tusks from poachers.

Akashinga rangers, domiciled in Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley have recovered 24 pangolins and 118 elephant tusks from raids on poachers since last year in Mashonaland West.

Monday, 27 March 2023
Jindanji G 2023. Angolan authorities arrest two suspected suspected elephant poachers.

Angola's Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) in Bengo Province bordering the capital city Luanda, detained two poachers for killing an elephant in the municipality of Pango Aluquém. The detention took place this Monday due to complaints from people who saw the accused consuming and selling meat from the great mammal. The two, José Sebastião and Malambo Castro, aged 28 and 30, respectively, countered the accusations by saying that they found the animal already dead and that they only enjoyed the meat and ivory in the company of other people from their community.

Tuesday, 21 March 2023
2023. Luanda: SIC detém caçador furtivo que se instalou no Parque Nacional da Quissama e vivia da venda dos animais que abatia.

O Serviço de Investigação Criminal deteve um caçador furtivo que se tinha instalado no Parque Nacional da Quissama e abatia animais como elefantes e gazelas, que depois comercializava no mercado informal da Mutamba, em Luanda.

Luanda: SIC detains poachers who settled in the Quissama National Park and lived off the sale of the animals they slaughtered The Criminal Investigation Service detained a poacher who had settled in the Quissama National Park and killed animals such as elephants and gazelles, which he then sold at the informal market of Mutamba, in Luanda.

Monday, 20 March 2023
Taylor D 2023. Chinese, South African 'mafia' decimating wildlife in Kruger National Park.

A new report from the European Union-funded international crime response group, Enact, says organized crime groups from South Africa and China - in collaboration with corrupt wildlife officials - are "decimating" big game animals in one of the world's premier game reserves. 

Monday, 20 March 2023
2023. Vietnam seizes 7 tonnes ivory in largest wildlife smuggling case in years.

Vietnamese authorities on Monday seized seven tonnes of ivory smuggled from Angola, the largest seizure of wildlife products in years, the government said.

Tuesday, 14 March 2023
2023. 3 suspected poachers arrested with 6 elephant tusks in northern Tanzania.

Three suspected poachers have been detained by Tanzanian police after they were found in possession of six elephant tusks in the country's northern region of Manyara, police said on Saturday.

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.

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