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.
United for Wildlife has established landmark agreements with one of Nigeria's leading law enforcement agencies as well as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, as part of the organisation’s work to build a regional network to combat the Illegal Wildlife Trade in West Africa.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NIG_2024_07_United for Wildlife strengthens fight against the illegal wildlife trade.pdf | 150.65 KB |
The Congo rainforest is home to one of Africa's least-known and most threatened monkeys: the golden-bellied mangabey. Golden-bellied mangabeys form extraordinarily large troops of dozens of individuals, and field observations reveal a complex social structure reminiscent of that of humans. The species faces significant threats from habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade, with experts pushing for stronger legal protections, including an upgrade from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I listing.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
CHINA_2024_07_China Fortifies Anti_Wildlife Trafficking Efforts at its Borders_traffic.pdf | 166.51 KB |
The ongoing drought that has its grip on most parts of Namibia has not spared wildlife either, the environment ministry says. The drought is also severely impacting conservation efforts, but has not yet led to increased mortalities, reduction of wildlife numbers or any endangered species, environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda stated. While responding to questions by New Era, revealed the scarcity of rainfall in the affected regions has resulted in a dire shortage of water and grazing resources for wildlife.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_07_Wildlife not spared by drought_ Ministry_game meat for drought_hit communities_New Era.pdf | 812.75 KB |
The wildlife crime cases over the last two years have mostly involved antelopes, pangolins, small mammals, rhinos and elephants.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_07_Over 1 300 arrested for wildlife crimes in two years_Namibian Sun_0.pdf | 241.14 KB |
The Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, provided a detailed overview of ongoing efforts in wildlife protection and law enforcement at the 2024 Annual National Stakeholder Forum held this week. According to Shifeta, Namibia has long been recognized for its successful conservation strategies, which have significantly reduced poaching rates since the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly targeting iconic species such as rhinos and elephants.
The Namibian authorities arrested 654 people linked to 389 wildlife-crime cases registered in the country last year. This is according to a 2023 national report on wildlife protection and law enforcement in Namibia completed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. The report shows that 96 wildlife-crime court cases were finalised. Twelve cases involving pangolins, eight cases for elephants, four cases involving trees and an additional four cases involving rhinos were finalised in court.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2024_07_654 suspects arrested for poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 375.22 KB |
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
UG_2024_07_Is Ugandas Wildlife Court a paper tiger_newvision.pdf | 665.15 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_09_Dausab se oor verlore dossier_Republikein.pdf | 617.92 KB |
NAM_2022_09_Duasab says about lost dossier_Republikien_Eng.pdf | 499.5 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_09_PG explains missing dockets case_New Era.pdf | 366.5 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_09_Chinese nationals docket disappears_New Era.pdf | 400.12 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_09_Accused man off hook on wildlife charges_The Namibian.pdf | 656.14 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2022_09_As poachers poison wildlife Zimbabwe finds an antidote in tougher laws_Mongaby.pdf | 930.59 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2022_09_Bush meat poachers target Vic Falls wildlife_The Southern Eye.pdf | 613.11 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZAM_2022_09_Poacher jailed fined K242000 for poaching_Lusaka Times.pdf | 287.89 KB |
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_09_Anti_poaching drive receives jab in the arm_Namibia Economist.pdf | 748.31 KB |