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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 12 of 12
Thursday, 16 December 2021
2021. COVID-19 clears pathway for poachers.

In January 2021, Nigeria seized pangolin scales and tusks and bones from endangered species hidden in a container of furniture materials. The seized materials are used in traditional Chinese medicine despite having no medicinal value. Studies have suggested that pangolins, the most-smuggled animals in the world, may have been an intermediate host of the coronavirus that was discovered in an outdoor farmers market in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Customs officials said the contraband consisted of 162 sacks of pangolin scales and 57 sacks of mixed animal parts, including ivory and…

Thursday, 16 December 2021
Albertz E 2021. Cop suspected of illegal hunting not arrested.

The community of Karasburg and surrounding farms are disgruntled over an incident involving a police officer who was allegedly caught hunting illegally about a week ago in the Warmbad area.

Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Smit E 2021. 21 nabbed for wildlife crimes.

Seven new wildlife crime cases have been reported recently, while 21 suspects were arrested. Seven suspects were arrested with regards to rhino poaching or trafficking cases and six were arrested for elephant poaching or trafficking. At Oshikango, two Namibians and three Angolan nationals were arrested on 5 December for being in the possession of a pangolin skin. In another incident at Okakarara, five Namibians were arrested on 5 December for conspiring to hunt a rhino.

Tuesday, 14 December 2021
2021. Polizei beschlagnahmt acht Stoßzähne.

Am vergangen Sonntag wurden zwei Verdächtige festgenommen, die im Oktober 2020 ein Nashorn gewildert haben sollen. Das geht aus einem Bericht des Umweltministeriums hervor. Den beiden Männern wird vorgeworfen, ein unter Artenschutz stehendes Nashorn gejagt, getötet sowie den Kadaver verkauft zu haben. Darüber hinaus wurden in der letzten Woche sechs weitere neue Fälle in Verbindung mit Wildtierkriminalität bekannt. Insgesamt 21 Personen wurden festgenommen. Darunter fallen eine Vielzahl an Personen, die im illegalen Besitz von Wildtierprodukten waren und damit Handel betrieben…

Monday, 13 December 2021
Hattingh E 2021. Vermeende stropers val NCPF-lede aan.

Lede van die Nossob Misdaadvoorkomingsforum (NCPF) het die afgelope Donderdagoggend in lewensgevaar verkeer nadat hulle 'n voertuig, met vermoedelik gesteelde wildsvleis daarin, agterna gesit het. Hulle het die motor as die eiendom van 'n "bekende verdagte" op Witvlei herken. Die motor het teen klippe in Witvlei se nuwe informele nedersetting vasgery, waarna twee insittendes uitgespring en weggehardloop het.

Friday, 10 December 2021
Cronje J 2021. SANParks joint intelligence operations leads to arrest of suspected poachers.

South African National Parks (SANParks) today (10 December) said its Environmental Crime Investigation Unit (ECI) in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), conducted a series of intelligence driven operations which led to the arrest of eight suspected poachers in October and November in villages adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP).

Thursday, 2 December 2021
2021. Interpol Op Thunder nabs wildlife criminals.

South Africa is no stranger to wildlife crime as shown in Operation Thunder, an Interpol-led effort against environmental crime in the broadest sense of the words. The worldwide enforcement operation against wildlife and timber crime co-ordinated by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) disrupted crime networks and saw hundreds of arrests internationally, the France-headquartered policing body said.

Monday, 28 December 2020
Hattingh E 2020. Boere steier onder misdaad - Miljoene se vee, wild in 2020 gesteel.

Sedert die begin van die jaar het boere in die Kalkfeld-, Omitara-, Witvlei- en Steinhausen-omgewing ’n gesamentlike verlies van meer as N$3,35 miljoen aan die diefstal van vee, wild en infrastruktuur gely. Die afgelope drie maande was die bloedigste en diewe het hier eiendom ter waarde van bykans N$1,1 miljoen weggedra. Sedert die begin van die jaar tot November, is in die Omitara-, Witvlei- en Steinhausen-omgewing verliese van meer as N$1,65 miljoen weens diefstal by die Nossob Misdaadvoorkomingsforum (NCPF) aangemeld. Die forum, wat noukeurig sedert sy ontstaan…

Sunday, 20 December 2020
Ebersole R 2020. The black-market trade in wildlife has moved online, and the deluge is 'dizzying'.

When a squad of federal and state law enforcement agents with guns and bulletproof vests entered a single-story brick home in Buffalo, New York, on July 5, 2018 they were searching for business records of a suspected criminal enterprise. Experts trained to handle dangerous exotic cats congregated in a sunroom pungent with the odor of cat urine.

Friday, 4 December 2020
2020. Caracals under seize from poachers infiltrating Noordhoek Wetlands.

Caracals living in Noordhoek wetlands are under siege from all sides, facing considerable threats to their survival. This nocturnal and elusive wild cat native to Africa has become a prime target for ruthless poachers who capture them for bushmeat or sell their body parts on the illegal wildlife black market. Caracals also face increased habitat loss and lack of habitat connectivity.

Thursday, 3 December 2020
2020. Wilderei ist außer Kontrolle.

Wilderer auf Farm Clausthal haben acht Oryx-Antilopen geschlachtet Die Wilderei und der Viehdiebstahl in der Umgebung rund um Karibib gerät außer Kontrolle. Dank eines Großeinsatzes einer privaten Antiwildereieinheit konnten jetzt vier mutmaßliche Wilderer gestellt werden, die acht Oryx-Antilopen gejagt hatten. Zwei Männer wurden auf frischer Tat ertappt.

Tuesday, 1 December 2020
Hartman A 2020. Poachers caught at Karibib.

Five men, of which three escaped, were caught by the police and anti-poaching units at Karibib in connection with poaching on Friday.

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