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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 - 16 of 16
Thursday, 31 October 2024
2024. Wildlife law enforcement briefing.

4 ivory traffickers arrested with 3 tusks in Congo in a crackdown on judicial corruption. One of them is the head clerk of the high court of Dolisie who used his position to traffic seized ivory from the court’s evidence room. He was denounced by the other traffickers and a raid was carried out his home the following morning when he arrested. Two of the tusks bear markings corresponding to our operation from 2021. This is an important step in combatting corruption in the judicial system. 2 traffickers arrested with 3 elephant tusks, 41 ivory statues, and 13 hippo teeth in Togo.…

Monday, 28 October 2024
Horn A 2024. Demonstration against mining activities.

On Thursday morning, a notice of appeal was filed with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to revoke the Environmental Impact Certificates (ECC), according to which mining was allowed in the protected and conservanial areas southwest of Khorixas. This came after the High Court temporarily banned all mining operations in the area in an urgent procedure until the environmental officer Timoteus Mufeti made a decision on the mining applications of Timoteus Mashuna and Otilie Ndeshetelwa Ndimulunde.

Tuesday, 22 October 2024
2024. Savannah region of northern Cameroon: A unique rcosystem under pressure.

Northern Cameroon is characterized by flat to gently undulating countryside, with vast plains and occasional rocky outcrops that stretch over a mix of dry and wet savannah landscapes. Large ephemeral rivers create seasonal wetlands and floodplains important for agriculture and wildlife. The northernmost parts of this region are a part of the Sahel, which marks a transition between the desert and the more fertile savannah to the south. The region falls within the Sudano-Sahelian climatic zone, which experiences distinct wet and dry seasons.

Friday, 18 October 2024
Maela T 2024. Poaching incident leads to arrests after buffalo attack.

In Vhembe District, Limpopo, police have detained five men, ages 28 to 42, in connection with illegal hunting activities and obstruction of justice. According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the provincial police spokesperson, the arrests took place on Sunday in the villages of Bennde-Mutale and Nkotswi. According to IOL, the suspects are accused of hunting buffalo unlawfully within the Kruger National Park. During the incident, one member of the group was fatally injured by a buffalo.

Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Maromo J 2024. Buffalo turns tables on illegal hunters in Kruger National Park, charges and kills one poacher.

The group of men was illegally hunting for buffalo in the Kruger National Park when one of them was attacked by a buffalo. "The group shot the buffalo and one of the accomplices removed the injured victim, who was deceased, from the scene and placed him next to the fence of the park. One of them returned home to inform relatives to come and pick him up," said Ledwaba. The alerted relative went and picked up the deceased man's body.

Thursday, 3 October 2024
Abraham M 2024. In South Sudan, hunger complicates plans to end wildlife poaching.
Conservationists urge the protection of wildlife, but in the absence of food, many communities say they are forced to hunt to survive.
Thursday, 3 October 2024
2024. Monitoring online illegal wildlife trade: Insights from Brazil and South Africa.

Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is increasingly taking place online, with social media and e-commerce platforms being used to facilitate the sale of endangered species. Data collected from May to July 2024 reveals that 477 online advertisements were detected for 18 protected species across Brazil and South Africa. Shockingly, 78% of these ads were posted on platforms like Facebook, making social media a major player in the online wildlife trade.

Tuesday, 1 October 2024
Nakashole P, Palata M 2024. Hunger not a justification for killing endangered carmine bee-eaters, warns Kavango East leader.

Chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council Damian Maghambayi says hunger is no excuse for killing endangered birds. He was speaking to The Namibian following a report in yesterday’s edition on residents of the Kavango regions reportedly trapping carmine bee-eater birds to eat.

Monday, 30 November 2020
Kandovazu E 2020. Suspected poacher killed by guard.

A man suspected of being a poacher, 27-year-old Claudius Hameva, was fatally shot at a game farm around Okakarara earlier this morning following a scuffle between him and the farm's security guard.

Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Leuschner E 2020. Wilderei ein Grund zur Sorge.

Farmer in der Umgebung von Usakos und Karibib müssen wachsam sein Seit. Monaten kämpfen Farmer in der Umgebung von Usakos und Karibib gegen eine besonders hohen Anzahl Fälle der Wilderei - das Ausmaß wird als alarmierend bezeichnet und die private Antiwildereieinheit arbeitet nahezu rund um die Uhr. Die Polizei untersucht das Ausmaß.

Friday, 20 November 2020
Hartman A 2020. Poachers a menace at Karibib.

Poaching has risen to alarming levels in the Karibib district during the past three months, with dozens of large game animals having been butchered, injured and some having to be put down. "Covid-19 must have contributed to the sharp increase in poaching. People lost their jobs and are hungry, so there is a demand for meat. The festive season is also around the corner, so this also contributes to an increase," Butzi Kühne of Kühne Security and Anti-Poaching Unit told The Namibian.

Thursday, 19 November 2020
Smit E 2020. Five wildlife products seized.

A Namibian man who illegally hunted two warthogs and an impala was sentenced to five months in prison or a N$6 000 fine last week. According to the latest wildlife crime report, only two new cases of wildlife crime were reported between 8 November and 15 November. Two suspects were arrested in connection with wildlife crime and five illegal wildlife products were seized. These were two warthog carcasses, an impala carcass and a lechwe carcass. At Kalkfeld, a Namibian man was arrested on 8 November for being in possession of two warthog carcasses and an impala carcass.

Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Menges W 2020. Poacher's 30-year jail term cut on appeal.

The 30-year prison term of a cattle poacher, who successfully challenged the constitutionality of the severe sentences which were prescribed for stock thieves in Namibia, has been reduced to 12 years by the Supreme Court.

Friday, 13 November 2020
Kaminzi M 2020. NamPower linked to poaching.

A NamPower employee's arrest and court appearance in connection with poaching has shone the spotlight on the parastatal's employees abusing their access to farms.

Thursday, 12 November 2020
2020. NamPower investigating employee accused of illegal hunting at Kalkfeld.

NamPower has launched an internal investigation against its employee, Joel Ochurub, who was arrested Saturday near Kalkfeld after he was allegedly found with poached warthogs and an impala in an official vehicle.

Thursday, 5 November 2020
Denker H 2020. Conservation in a crisis.

Namibian conservation efforts have faced a number of major crises over the past half century.

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