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 - 13 of 13
Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Smit E 2021. 23 arrested for wildlife crimes.

According to the report, three Namibians were arrested on 15 October at Katima Mulilo for being in the possession of a live pangolin. Chika Ilukena, Mayuni and Nicky Mundia were charged with illegal possession and dealing of controlled wildlife products. At Witvlei, three Namibians were arrested on 16 October when they were caught with an oryx carcass.

Tuesday, 26 October 2021
2021. Two arrested for possessing Pangolin in Mangochi.

Mangochi Police have arrested Group Village Headman Maundu aged 49 and Rashid White Jusa, 55, over possession of pangolin.

Friday, 22 October 2021
Smit E 2021. 20 wildlife products seized from 9 suspects.

According to the latest wildlife crime report, Petrus van Rensburg was arrested at Ariamsvlei on 9 October with 10 oryx carcasses. He was charged for the illegal hunting of huntable game. In another incident, Kaserandu Tjiumbua was arrested at Kamdesha on 10 October for poisoning four lions and two spotted hyenas. He was charged with illegal hunting of game and for administering poison. At Rundu, Dominikus Ndara was arrested on 11 October for being in the possession of a python skin. He was charged for the illegal possession and dealing of controlled wildlife products.

Friday, 15 October 2021
Smit E 2021. Poaching, wildlife conflict connected.

The connections between poaching and human-wildlife conflict in conservancies are a significant local conservation concern. Meanwhile, poaching is compromising the ability of local communities to legally use natural resources to support local livelihoods, and reduces wildlife available for local economic development. This is according to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Alka Bhatia. She was speaking at a signing ceremony of the 'integrated approach to proactive management of human-wildlife conflict and wildlife crime in hotspot landscapes in Namibia' project…

Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Petersen S Poaching: 369 arrests in nine months.

At least 369 alleged poachers have been arrested in the last nine months, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism says. "Of these cases, 100 are related to pangolin poaching and trafficking, 64 to elephant poaching and trafficking, while 113 are related to rhino poaching and trafficking," ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says. Over the last five years, elephant poaching has declined from 50 cases in 2017 to five thus far this year, while rhino poaching declined from 81 cases in 2018 to 14 this year. Ministry officials last week discovered two carcasses…

Thursday, 7 October 2021
2021. Nigeria - pangolin poaching.

The Nation in August reported the arrest of three Guineans and a Nigerian, and the recovery of N22 billion worth of pangolin scales, claws and elephant tusks from the suspects. Addressing reporters at the Customs Training School, Ikeja, where the seized items were displayed, National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Controller Joseph Attah, said experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Department of Forestry, would conduct a DNA test on the pangolin scales to know the country where the animals were killed.

Tuesday, 5 October 2021
Montsho M 2021. Northern Cape man arrested for allegedly selling pangolin for R200K.

Rustenbrug: A 25-year-old man, arrested for allegedly selling a pangolin for R200 000, was released on warning at the Kuruman Magistrate's Court, the Hawks in Northern Cape said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Nomthandazo Mnisi said Sipho Bosman appeared in court on Monday, facing a charge of illegal possession of endangered species, in terms of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004. "The suspect was arrested on Friday, October 1, 2021, after information surfaced about someone who was allegedly selling a pangolin for R200 000".

Monday, 4 October 2021
Adenubi T 2021. Nigeria - huge haul of pangolin scales.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that its officers have again, for the second time in two months, intercepted a huge catche of Pangolin scale worth N1.7billion in Lagos. This is even as the NCS revealed that findings have indicated that Nigeria is a conduit pipe being used by a yet to be identified international cartel in this illegal trade. Recall that the NCS in August had intercepted a huge catche of Pangolin scales worth N22billion in Lagos.

Thursday, 24 June 2021
Shinana A 2021. Two nabbed for possessing pangolin scales.

According to police crime coordinator deputy commissioner Moses Simaho, the suspects were arrested after they tried to sell the scales to undercover officers at Epalela on Tuesday at 09:30. The pangolin products as well as cannabis were allegedly smuggled into the country from Angola without a permit from competent authorities in that country. "The two suspects have been arrested for possession of and dealing with controlled wildlife and dealing in prohibited dependence-producing drugs. We seized a bag containing cannabis whose value has not yet been determined and 2,22 pangolin…

Wednesday, 16 June 2021
David M 2021. Pangolin skin gets man arrested.

The Namibian Police Force in the Oshana Region have arrested a 41-year-old man after he was found in possession of protected wildlife products at Oshakati. According to an arrest report provided by the Public Relation Division of the Namibian Police, a case of possession of controlled wildlife products was registered on Friday evening. "The suspect was arrested at Okatana Service Station in Oshakati, after he was found in possession of a pangolin skin," said police.

Wednesday, 9 June 2021
2021. Significant arrests of wildlife crime perpetrators continues.

The latest wildlife crime statistics indicate that four rhinos and one elephant have been poached to date, as law enforcement operations continue to bag perpetrators, an official said this week. From the beginning of June, law enforcement agencies have made significant arrests of wildlife criminals involving products of high valued species across the country, the Ministry of Environment spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in an update.

Tuesday, 8 June 2021
Shikongo A 2021. Police, military officers arrested over wildlife crime.

Among the items seized from the suspects are four elephant tusks, two rhino horns, one live pangolin, a giraffe skin and a pangolin skin.

Wednesday, 2 June 2021
Smit E 2021. 39 court hearings on wildlife crime.

Out of the 39 court hearings on wildlife crimes during May, only two cases were finalised, with two suspects found guilty. At Katutura, 29-year-old Kavijenene Kaemui was found guilty for the illegal possession of a pangolin skin on 17 May and sentenced to a fine of N$10 000 (N$4 000 suspended) or 24 months in prison (12 months suspended). In another matter at Kamanjab, Josef Selvarius Karunga (38) was arrested on 28 September 2020 for the illegal possession of a python.

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