Search results

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 - 15 of 15
Friday, 28 June 2024
Cowan C 2024. Madagascar lemurs, tortoises seized in Thai bust reveal reach of wildlife trafficking.

The recent seizure in Thailand of 48 lemurs and more than 1,200 critically endangered tortoises endemic to Madagascar underscores the global scale of wildlife trafficking networks that use Thailand as a transshipment hub. The operation was aided by intelligence from a joint transnational investigation between Thai law enforcement agencies and international antitrafficking organizations working to dismantle global wildlife trafficking networks spanning Asia, Africa and South America.

Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Musoke R 2024. From bush to butchery: The game meat value chain in northern Tanzania.

Tanzania is home to wild herds of buffalo, wildebeest, hartebeest, and impala that have been hunted for meat by generations of indigenous communities. In 2019, Tanzania’s late President called on the country’s authorities to establish a mechanism that will allow Tanzania's to access wild meat, counter rampant poaching and illegal bushmeat trade through a pioneering set of national laws. By early 2020, the Game Meat Selling Regulations (GMSR) - new legislation for the legal sourcing, selling, and consumption of wild meat - had come into force.

Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Hilton P 2024. The hidden ivory trade: hippos under threat amidst rising demand.
When we think of ivory, elephants come to mind. Yet, hippos are also victims of the relentless ivory trade, with their teeth coveted as a legal and cheaper alternative. Investigative photojournalist Paul Hilton ventured to Uganda, uncovering the grim reality: hippo populations are dwindling due to the soaring demand for ivory, primarily trafficked through Hong Kong.
Friday, 14 June 2024
Musoke R 2024. Wildlife warden decries rise in poaching.

A wildlife warden on Wednesday raised alarm over the increase in poaching and the cutting down of trees at the Badingilo National Park. Speaking to reporters at the park, acting Warden, Maj. Butrus Simon, said the killing of the wildlife and deforestation have been exacerbated by the economic hardship in the country. "The poaching activities inside the park are due to the current situation. You will find that many poachers kill the animals and cut the trees," Simon said.

Tuesday, 4 June 2024
Ndalikokule P 2024. Chinese and Vietnamese transport groups unite in fighting cross-border wildife trafficking.
In an unprecedented event, two major logistics groups from two of the largest exporting countries, the China Express Association (CEA) and the Viet Nam Automobile Transportation Association (VATA), came together to pave the way for greater industry collaboration, especially to work together to curb cross-border illegal wildlife trade.
Sunday, 2 June 2024
2024. Teenager arrested for illegally hunting a warthog.

The Namibian police in the Otjozondjupa Region have arrested a 19-year-old suspect who was allegedly found in possession of a warthog carcass and was unable to explain how it came into his possession. The arrest was made at Farm Euros in the Kombat area on Saturday morning. It is alleged that the suspect entered the farm without the owner's permission and "unlawfully and intentionally" slaughtered a warthog worth N$7,000, which was then found in his possession. Retrieved from the Facebook Site of Informanté.

Saturday, 1 June 2024
2024. Concern over targeting of birds of prey.

People who are shooting birds of prey should be prosecuted, says FreeMe Wildlife, who are on a mission to protect the raptors amid a rise in their killings. Tammy Caine, a raptor specialist at FreeMe Wildlife, said they have recently had two birds of prey - an African harrier hawk and a spotted eagle owl - come in with pellets in their wings. "While the African harrier hawk is still in care, the spotted eagle owl sadly had to be euthanised.

Thursday, 22 September 2022
Kruger K 2022. Dausab se oor verlore dossier.

Die minister van justisie, me. Yvonne Dausab, het agterdog oor die verdwyning van 'n dossier in 'n saak waarin 'n Chinese burger van wildmisdaad beskuldig word, in die kiem gesmoor. Xuecheng is na bewering in 2014 vasgetrek met 'n jagluiperd- en luiperdvel in sy besit en is aangekla van die onwettige handel in vier olifanttande. Hy is maande later weer in hegtenis geneem nadat 'n ietermagovel, 'n luiperdkop en sewe sebravelle glo in sy besit by die China Town-inkoopkompleks in Windhoek gevind is.

Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Routh R 2022. PG explains missing dockets case.

Prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has responded to articles published in the New Era and The Namibian about the trial of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng, and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya, whose cases were struck from the court roll recently. The reason the charges on dealing in controlled wildlife products were dismissed was that neither the witnesses nor the docket was before the court. According to the PG, the information contained in the articles was incorrect.

Friday, 16 September 2022
Routh R 2022. Chinese national's docket disappears.

Regional Court Magistrate Leopoldt Hangalo yesterday struck the case of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya on a count of dealing in controlled wildlife products, from the court roll. The reason was that no docket nor witnesses were before the court. The magistrate said the matter has been coming from 2014, and the State failed to get their affairs in order for it to start. He cancelled the bail of N$100 000 for Cheng and N$5 000 for Hamutenya, and ordered it to be refunded to the depositors.

Friday, 16 September 2022
Menges W 2022. Accused man off hook on wildlife charges.

A Chinese businessman who has been facing charges of dealing in controlled wildlife products over the past eight years left the Windhoek Magistrate's Court as a free man yesterday, after his case was struck from the court roll. The state alleged that the five men illegally dealt in four elephant tusks in Windhoek on 11 June 2014.

Monday, 12 September 2022
Truscott R 2022. As poachers poison wildlife, Zimbabwe finds an antidote in tougher laws.

Poisons like cyanide can be a deadly weapon for poachers, allowing them to kill dozens of animals without needing access to firearms or the backing of criminal syndicates. Wildlife poisoning is on the rise across Africa, targeting elephants as well as pushing endangered vultures toward extinction. A new study says Zimbabwe, which a decade ago witnessed some of the deadliest mass poisonings of elephants, has developed a sound basis for curbing poisonings by tightening laws to criminalize intent to use poison to kill wildlife.

Sunday, 11 September 2022
Dlamini N 2022. Bush meat poachers target Vic Falls wildlife.

Rising demand for bush meat during Covid-19 lockdowns has decimated wild animals that used to roam the streets of Zimbabwe’s prime resort town of Victoria Falls, conservationists say. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) said animals such as warthogs that used to roam the city were now hard to come by because they were killed by poachers, who use snares. VFAPU said between January and April, it apprehended 59 suspected poachers around Victoria Falls. The anti-poaching unit removed 163 snares and another 309 snares were identified by Zambezi Horse Safaris.

Wednesday, 7 September 2022
2022. Poacher jailed, fined K242,000 for poaching.

The Itezhi Tezhi Magistrates Court has found a farmer guilty of unlawful possession of game meat and sentenced him to three years in prison. The details of count three are that Mafuta unlawfully hunted and killed a game animal, namely a warthog, without a hunting license on the same date, jointly and with others unknown.

Monday, 5 September 2022
2022. Anti-poaching drive receives jab in the arm.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) last week on Friday received equipment and vehicles to assist in the fight against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade as the country continues to battle with a surge in cases. The donation from the U.S. government which included two Toyota Landcruiser and two Hyundai Game Viewer Trucks as well as anti-poaching equipment all valued at N$9 million Namibia dollars was handed over to the MEFT officials by a senior leader delegation from the U.S. Africa Command.

NOT FOUND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? AMEND YOUR SEARCH...