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.
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Two police officers have been arrested while in possession of Sh4.9 million worth of ivory tusks in Athi River, Machakos county. The duo, according to police, was nabbed along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway within Kyumbi Township. The matter was reported to Kyumbi police station as the arrest of police officers. Police said the officers were arrested by their two colleagues. “The KWS officers both of KWS headquarters, Nairobi, acting on a tip managed to arrest the officers.
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KEN_2025_01_Kenya_Cops arrested with Sh4_9m ivory tusks in Machakos_Journal of African Elephants.pdf | 267.46 KB |
The global demand for ivory is driving heavily armed poachers from Chad and Sudan into Cameroon's Bouba Ndjida National Park. two decades, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants programme has recorded 3,004 elephants illegally killed in this region. In April 2023, several were killed in Chad’s Beinamar area, close to the Cameroon border, sparking concerns about a potential resurgence of poaching. The Bouba Ndjida National Park in Cameroon’s North Region shares a border with the Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve in Chad.
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CAM_2025_01_Elephant poaching_Expanding Cameroons green militarisation_Daily Maverick.pdf | 318.54 KB |
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SA_2025_01_Hunting for Poachers Amid South Africas Bloody Wildlife War_Outdoor Life.pdf | 3.45 MB |
For over two decades, Chinese businessman Hou Xue Cheng has danced through Namibia's legal system, mysteriously dodging convictions for alleged death threats, wildlife crimes, smuggling, money laundering and corruption. Hou, also referred to as the Mafia Boss, was arrested with an accomplice on 7 January, after allegedly attempting to smuggle seal genitals from Namibia to Angola. His latest arrest was treated as routine, with no fanfare or media statement released by the authorities. But a closer look shows that Hou has been dodging prosecution in Namibia for over 20 years.
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NAM_2025_01_Chinas untouchable Hou How mafia boss keeps evading justice in Namibia_The Issue.pdf | 79.47 KB |
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TAN_2025_01_Lunga Lunga_106 kg ivory left behind as suspects escape_Seej Africa.pdf | 294.25 KB |
Poaching threatens the survival of savanna elephants in Central Africa. Over the last two decades, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants programme has recorded 3 004 illegal elephant kills in this region. In April 2023, several elephants were killed in the Beinamar region of Chad, close to the Cameroon border, sparking concerns about a potential resurgence of poaching in this region. The Bouba Ndjida National Park, located in the North Region of Cameroon, shares a border with the Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve in Chad.
Poaching threatens the survival of savanna elephants in Central Africa. Over the last two decades, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants programme has recorded 3 004 illegal elephant kills in this region. In April 2023, several elephants were killed in the Beinamar region of Chad, close to the Cameroon border, sparking concerns about a potential resurgence of poaching in this region. The Bouba Ndjida National Park, located in the North Region of Cameroon, shares a border with the Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve in Chad.
The Ministry of Environment (MEFT), in cooperation with the police and the Namibian Defence Forces (NDF), arrested two suspects found in possession of four elephant tusks in the Zambezi region at around 11pm last Thursday. "The suspects, aged 23 and 25, both male nationals of Zambia, are charged with illegal possession of controlled wildlife products and for violating the Immigration Control Act 7/1993 for illegally entering Namibia," the environment ministry said.
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NAM_2025_01_Two Zambians caught in possession of tusks_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 167.8 KB |
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 |