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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 - 14 of 14
Thursday, 29 April 2021
Pretorius N 2021. Two imprisoned for attempting to sell injured pangolin.

Two men recently received a seven-year prison sentence each after they were found guilty on charges of trying to sell an injured pangolin.

Thursday, 22 April 2021
Smit E 2021. Eight arrested for wildlife crimes.

On 12 April, Haita Paulus Tjambiru was arrested at Orupembe in connection with an old case dating back to October 2015 in which a rhino was illegally hunted. He was charged with contravening the Nature Conservation Ordinance. In another incident at Ondangwa on 13 April, Phillipus Alfeus was arrested for being in possession of two python skins.

Thursday, 15 April 2021
David R 2021. Wildlife crime decreases in 2020Wildlife crime decreases in 2020.

According to the Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report for 2020, rhino crimes accounted for most arrests during the past year, with 145 suspects having been detained. "A significant number of these were pre-emptive arrests, where suspects were caught before they could kill a rhino. This is not only a highly commendable law enforcement success, but also a very positive conservation outcome. Pre-emptive arrests have directly saved numerous rhinos and will allow the population to continue to multiply," the report stated.

Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Leuschner E 2021. Coronakrise bremst Nashorn-Wilderei.

Fälle der Wilderei sind im vergangenen Jahr zurückgegangen - Schuppentiere "am meisten" gehandelt. Mehr als 300 Personen wurden im vergangenen Jahr wegen Wildtierverbrechen an hochwertigen Arten festgenommen. Die geringste Anzahl gemeldete Fälle wird im Zusammenhang mit der Nashorn-Wilderei, die höchste Anzahl wiederum im Zusammenhang mit dem Handel von Schuppentieren verzeichnet.

Tuesday, 13 April 2021
Steynberg F 2021. Wildmisdaadsindikate in 2020 vasgetrek: Bosslagtery gedy in Covid.

Die voorkoms van wildmisdaad, veral rakende renosters, olifante en ietermagôs het in 2020 gedaal, maar steeds is ’n derde van alle inhegtenisnemings verwant aan dié hoë waarde spesies. Volgens 2020 se wildmisdaadverslag is 31% minder sake aanhangig gemaak, asook 31% minder verdagtes as in 2019 in hegtenis geneem. Altesaam 145 verdagtes is in verband met renosterstropery of horingsmokkelary in hegtenis geneem, maar in 2020 is op meer renosterhorings (21) beslag gelê as die 13 in 2019.

Sunday, 11 April 2021
2021. Wildlife report indicates that pangolin is the most trafficked high-value protected species.

Pangolin was the most trafficked high-value protected species according to the 2020 Annual Report on the Combatting of Wildlife Crime released last week. According to the report, only one pangolin of the 74 seized by the law enforcement agencies was alive while 129 of these nocturnal animals were poached in 2019. The report emphasised that law enforcement relating to pangolin poaching and trafficking represent a major challenge because the animals are largely collected opportunistically. However, transboundary intelligence collaboration has led to the…

Thursday, 1 April 2021
Alim AJ 2021. Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade: Pangolin scales worth £5m seized in Cameroon on 'major trafficking route'.

Four thousand kilograms of pangolin scales were seized by authorities in Cameroon on what experts are calling a "major trafficking route".

Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Beseerde ietermagô by man gevind.

’n Man (25) is laas Woensdag in Windhoek in hegtenis geneem met ’n beseerde ietermagô glo in sy besit. Volgens die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme was die ietermagô in ’n stresvolle toestand en met beserings op die lyf.

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Windhoek on Wednesday with an injured pangolin in his possession.

Monday, 18 May 2020
Dalton J 2020. South Africa traffics thousands of endangered wild animals to China in 'corrupt and growing' trade, investigation finds.

South African traders with China are illegally selling thousands of wild animals threatened with extinction and endangered, under the guise of legal exports, according to an investigation. Monkeys have been stolen from the wild, and together with cheetahs, tigers, rhinos, lions and meerkats, they have been trafficked to circuses, theme parks, laboratories, zoos and "safari parks", researchers found.

Saturday, 16 May 2020
Hyman A 2020. Kuruman man convicted of having R250k worth of pangolin scales.

A Kuruman man was convicted for being in possession of R250,000 worth of pangolin scales and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by the Kuruman magistrate's court on Friday. John Henry Rautenbach, 25, was arrested by the Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation unit in August last year after the unit received information that an illegal firearm was being kept at an address in the Northern Cape.

Thursday, 14 May 2020
2020. Man met beseerde ietermagô vas.

‘n Man (25) is gistermiddag in Windhoek in hegtenis geneem met ‘n beseerde ietermagô glo in sy besit.

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Windhoek on Monday afternoon with an injured pangolin apparently in his possession.

Thursday, 14 May 2020
2020. Suspect arrested for selling dead pangolin in Limpopo.

Police say a tip-off led to the arrest of the suspect who was allegedly trying to sell the pangolin in the Musina CBD.

Thursday, 7 May 2020
Pinnock D 2020. How the Coronavirus changes poaching strategies.

Wild animals are back. Kangaroos bounding through the streets of Melbourne, elephant herds passing through Indian villages, jackals in Johannesburg, leopards in Mumbai, wild boar in Bergamo and Verreaux eagles catching thermals above a silent Cape Town. And of course, inevitable cartoons of humans in surgical masks staring forlornly at animals playing on the sidewalk. Is lockdown good news for creatures - or for poachers?

Tuesday, 5 May 2020
Bega S 2020. An increase in poaching expected as criminal networks try to take advantage of lockdown.

Poaching incidents could increase during the lockdown period as criminal networks try to take advantage of the closing of parks, perceiving a reduced presence of law enforcement now dealing with the Covid-19 emergency. “We are in receipt of intelligence that known poaching organisers operating across southern Africa intend taking advantage of the current situation,” said Sarah Stoner, director of intelligence at the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC).

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