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.
According to Zimparks statistics that were released to this publication, there is a significant increase in the number of foreigners that have been arrested for poaching this year. In the first half of 2023, 10 foreigners were arrested for poaching in Zimbabwe compared to six who were nabbed through out 2022. One hundred and eighty two locals were arrested for poaching in the first half of this year while in 2022, 644 Zimbabweans were charged for illegal hunting. Zimparks, a statutory body responsible for managing the country's wildlife population, said elephants…
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ZIM_2023_07_Foreigners fuel Zimbabwes wildlife illicit financial flows_Bulawayo24 News.pdf | 250.47 KB |
ZAW officers in Livingstone on Sunday killed an elephant that attacked 1 36 year old man of Simoonga village. Below, members of the community share the meat of the elephant in question Three people in Lumezi District have been sentenced to one month imprisonment with hard labour for unlawful possession of a government trophy.
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ZAM_2023_07_Lundazi trio jailed for unlawful possession of game meat_LusakaTimes.pdf | 260 KB |
Assets and goods seized and forfeited to the state during the finalisation of wildlife crime cases at special courts last year were valued at more than N$4 million. The seized items included illegal wildlife products, firearms and vehicles used in wildlife crimes. According to the Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement Report in Namibia, the judicial system faces a range of challenges in dealing with high rates of crime and ensuring justice is served; a central hurdle is a growing backlog of cases on the court rolls. "This has…
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NAM_2023_07_Special wildlife crime courts highly effective_Namibian Sun.pdf | 332.47 KB |
Six suspected poachers have been arrested in separate incidents in Bulawayo and Victoria Falls with the police recovering four ivory tusks and 10,5kg of kudu meat. The arrest comes afer the police declared war on poaching syndicates countrywide. In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.
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ZIM_2023_07_Six suspected poachers arrested in Bulawayo and Vic falls_The Herald.pdf | 188.77 KB |
Rund 24 000 Elefanten leben derzeit in Nambia. Die Aufzeichnungen über Elefantenwilderei in Namibia waren im vergangenen Jahr auf dem niedrigsten Stand seit 2016. Laut dem Bericht "Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement in Namibia" wurden im Jahr 2022 "nur vier" Elefanten gewildert, verglichen mit 2016, als 101 Elefanten durch Wilderer abgeschossen wurden. In den folgenden Jahren sanken die Wildereivorfälle immer mehr.
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NAM_2023_07_Elefantenwilderei geht zurueck_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 375.41 KB |
NAM_2023-07_Elephant poaching is declining_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 304.2 KB |
Verlede jaar was olifantstroperysyfers in Namibië die laagste sedert 2016. Skuldigbevindings is egter steeds ver agter arrestasies wat in stroperysake gemaak is. Volgens die verslag oor wildbeskerming en wetstoepassing in Namibië is slegs vier olifante in 2022 gestroop vergeleke met 2016 se 101. Die volgende jaar het stroperyvoorvalle tot 50 afgeneem, terwyl 27 olifante in 2018, 13 in 2019, 12 in 2020 en agt in 2021 gestroop is. Statistieke toon verder dat daar verlede jaar beslag gelê is op 55 olifanttande, 64 verdagtes is in…
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NAM_2023_07_Olifantstropery die laagste sedert 2016_Republikein.pdf | 355.74 KB |
NAM_2023_07_Elephant poaching lowest since 2016_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 337.94 KB |
The convicts were placed on trial for illegal possession, dealing in, assembling, storing, smuggling, and trading in pangolin scale and elephant ivory.
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NIG_2023_07_Court jails 4 foreigners for trafficking animals in Lagos_Pulse NG.pdf | 172.12 KB |
The country's anti-poaching and crime prevention initiatives managed to arrest 75 suspects in 106 cases related to rhino poaching in Namibia in 2022, a report released last week noted. The year 2022 saw the most rhinos poached in the country since 2015 when the first major poaching wave in independent Namibia peaked, the National Report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement in Namibia revealed. The released report is based on data compiled via the Integrated Database of Wildlife Crime in Namibia, as well as related firsthand information and observations by…
Corruption is the air that wildlife crime breathes; it is one of the key enablers of widespread and large-scale wildlife trafficking and one of the biggest obstacles to effective law enforcement. This is according to the Wildlife Justice Commission’s new report focusing on the role of corruption as one of the most important enabling factors behind wildlife crime. The report, "Dirty Money: The Role of Corruption in Enabling Wildlife Crime", presents a collection of case examples to illustrate the mechanisms and modalities of corruption in real terms - how it…
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AFR_2023_07_Research details how corruption fuels wildlife crimes_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 662.79 KB |
HArare - A police constable has been sentenced to nine years in jail after he and his accomplice, an ex-cop and Zimparks employee, were found in possession of unmarked ivory in 2022.
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ZIM_2023_07_Police officer_parks ranger jailed 9 years for possession of ivory_Zimlive.pdf | 749.26 KB |
Kenya will enhance partnerships with neighboring countries and regional blocs in a bid to protect abundant natural resources like wildlife from the clutches of organized crime, an official has said.
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KEN_2023_-07_Kenya vows to combat illegal trade in iconic species via enhanced partnership_NewsGhana.pdf | 528.08 KB |
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has announced the arrest of five people over the possession of elephant tusks in violation of the Wildlife Management laws.
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ZIM_2022_04_A quintet arrested for possession of elephant tusks_fresh tail_guns_Pindula News.pdf | 255.21 KB |
Four traffickers have been arrested for trafficking in ivory tusk, pangolin, and chimpanzee.
Additionally, 770 suspects were arrested for wildlife crimes. Wildlife products confiscated included 108 elephant tusks, 117 pangolins and 59 rhino horns, while 42 unlicensed firearms used in the commission of wildlife crimes were seized.
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NAM_2022_04_38 000 suspects arrested in 2021_Namibian Sun.pdf | 494.34 KB |
Community participation is key to reducing wildlife crimes amid concerns that the country is losing revenue as a result of poaching. Poachers kill elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns. The official value of ivory is US$250 per kilogramme yet poachers can sell it for as little as US$50 per kilogramme.
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ZIM_2022_04_Zim losing forex to poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 380.12 KB |
"The absence of tourists in conservation areas enables poachers to act more freely. In normal times, tourists act as additional 'eyes and ears' in conservation areas, and their presence deters poachers from acting, but the decline in tourism activity emboldened poachers," a UK government report on the impact of Covid-19 on poaching has said.
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BOT_2022_04_Increased movement in wildlife areas reduces poaching activities_Sunday Standard.pdf | 343.45 KB |
Three Harare men, including a game ranger and a police officer yesterday appeared before magistrate Babra Mateko charged with illegal possession of 28 kilogrammes of ivory worth $700 000.
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ZIM_2022_04_Ranger_cop nabbed for illegal possession of ivory_NewsDay Zimbabwe.pdf | 170.07 KB |
Wildlife crimes remain a severe threat to the economy and biodiversity as well as to local livelihoods, the recently released Second National Integrated State of the Environment Report for Namibia showed. According to the report, a large number of wildlife crime cases are related to poaching for meat while rhinos currently represent the most valuable and sought after wildlife crime target. "Between 2018 and 2019, there has been an increase in registered wildlife cases related to high-value species growing from 115 to 174 cases.