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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 - 17 of 17
Thursday, 30 March 2023
David M 2023. No more poaching in Etosha, says Sakaria.

Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, the Oshana Regional Police Commander, was recently named the Gold Commander for the Etosha National Park Anti-poaching Safety and Security squad. Sakaria was named on March 23 and will, for the next six months, be in charge of directing the joint Nampol/NDF operational work in the Etosha National Park. He said that he will concurrently be in charge of the Oshana Region and also the anti-poaching operations in Etosha. "I have already been to Etosha, rotated the personnel and properly briefed them," he said.

Thursday, 30 March 2023
Ndeyanale E 2023. I can't guarantee you will leave Etosha alive.

Oshana police commissioner Naftal Sakaria says armed poachers found in the Etosha National Park should surrender to the police or they will be shot. Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo last week appointed Sakaria as the commander of the anti-poaching unit in Etosha National Park for a period of six months. While in this position, he will also remain the Oshana regional commander. Sakaria is tasked with commanding the police and military forces deployed in the flagship park to protect animals, especially iconic animals such elephants and rhinos, from being poached.

Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Manyinyire T 2023. Private rangers recover 24 pangolins, 118 elephant tusks from poachers.

Akashinga rangers, domiciled in Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley have recovered 24 pangolins and 118 elephant tusks from raids on poachers since last year in Mashonaland West.

Friday, 24 March 2023
Terblanché N 2023. Pangolin skin lands two in jail.

An intelligence-driven operation earlier this week led to the arrest in the Oshikoto Region of two residents of Windhoek who stand accused of trading in controlled wildlife products. According to a report about the arrest, provided by the commander of the Namibian Police in Oshikoto Region, Commissioner Teopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku, information received by investigators suggested that the two suspects were on their way to the south after completing a transaction where they were seen selling a pangolin skin.

Thursday, 23 March 2023
David M 2023. Two arrested for alleged possession of a pangolin skin.

Two people were detained Wednesday after they were found in possession of a skin of a pangolin which is a protected species. The two were apprehended at a temporary roadblock on the Omuthiya-Ondangwa main road. They are both from Windhoek. According to the regional commander of the police in Oshikoto, Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku, the skin is valued N$50 000.

Monday, 20 March 2023
Taylor D 2023. Chinese, South African 'mafia' decimating wildlife in Kruger National Park.

A new report from the European Union-funded international crime response group, Enact, says organized crime groups from South Africa and China - in collaboration with corrupt wildlife officials - are "decimating" big game animals in one of the world's premier game reserves. 

Monday, 31 October 2022
Nafiu A 2022. Court convicts Vietnamese for trafficking in pangolin scales.

The judge sentenced Nguyen to 3 months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to two counts charge preferred against him by the NCS. The convict was brought before the court on charges of acting in contravention of Nigeria Customs and Excise Management Act and unlawful possession of Pangolin scales, a specimen specified in the First Schedule to the Endangered Species Act.

Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Schrieber S 2022. Pangolin Crisis: Poaching and selling of endangered species continues in Pretoria.

Police thwarted an illegal pangolin sale worth thousands in the east of Pretoria with the help of an environmental activist. Police spokesperson Yeroboam Mbantsane said the environmental activist from the African Pangolin Working Group disguised himself as a potential buyer and approached two men, aged 34 and 27, from the Northern Cape who were selling a live pangolin.

Thursday, 20 October 2022
Reiter C 2022. Vier Fälle von Wildtierkriminalität in zwei Tagen gemeldet.

In der vergangenen Woche wurden vier neue Fälle der Wildtierkriminalität gemeldet, und fünf Verdächtige wurden im Zusammenhang mit diesen Straftaten verhaftet. Dies geht aus einem Bericht der Abteilung für geschützte Ressourcen, der namibischen Polizei, des Innenministeriums und des Umweltministeriums hervor. Dem Bericht zufolge wurden insgesamt acht Wildtierprodukte beschlagnahmt, darunter Duiker-Kadaver, Elefantenstoßzähne und lebende Schuppentiere.

Wednesday, 19 October 2022
2022. Five arrested in relation to four wildlife crimes.

Four newly registered wildlife crime cases have been made between 11 and 12 October and five Namibian men were arrested in relation to these cases. This was revealed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's weekly wildlife crime statistics. These statistics indicate that two elephant tusks, two live pangolins and four full duiker carcasses were confiscated after the arrest of the suspects, which took place in the Oshana, Kavango East and Omaheke regions.

Tuesday, 11 October 2022
2022. Pangolin rescued in Boksburg.

A multi-disciplinary operation successfully recovered a pangolin and arrested three suspects on October 9 in Trichardts Road, Boksburg.

Monday, 10 October 2022
2022. Environmental crime is world's third most lucrative crime.

With environmental crime ranking as the world’s third largest illegal trade, INTERPOL has joined calls at the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit for enhanced collective efforts against the criminal syndicates behind wildlife crime and its impact on communities and biodiversity. Poaching and trafficking undermine the rule of law and economic development.

Saturday, 8 October 2022
Labutte D 2022. Pangolin trafficking is rife in Bronkhorstspruit and Cullinan area.

Pangolin trafficking in the Bronkhorstspruit area is at an all-time high. Three of these animals were rescued in the Bronkhorstspruit and Cullinan area in September, while court cases in which pangolin traffickers are being prosecuted are also underway in both the Bronkhorstspruit Regional Court and the Cullinan Regional Court.

Friday, 7 October 2022
Gallagher C 2022. Malaysian group sanctioned for 'cruel trafficking' of ivory, rhino horn and pangolins from Africa.

The US has imposed sanctions against a Malaysian group, accusing it of engaging in "the cruel trafficking of endangered and threatened wildlife and the products of brutal poaching". The Treasury department said on Friday it has designated Malaysian national Teo Boon Ching, the Teo Boon Ching wildlife trafficking transnational criminal organisation and Malaysian company Sunrise Greenland. Teo Boon Ching specialises in the transportation of rhino horn, ivory and pangolins from Africa. It uses routes through Malaysia and Laos to reach customers in Vietnam and China, the department…

Friday, 7 October 2022
Heita J 2022. Only 36 arrests for rhino poaching this year compared to 80 in 2021.

Only 36 people have been arrested for rhino-related poaching cases this year, compared to 80 last year. This was revealed by environment minister Pohamba Shifeta as the ministry received a donation of 10 vehicles, park management and law enforcement equipment worth approximately N$ 21.7 million funded by the Integrated National Park Management II (NamParks V and Covid-19 Fund) and Integrated Wildlife Protection (IWPP) projects. In contrast, 55 rhinos have been poached this year, compared to 44 in 2021. Two elephants have been poached so far this year compared to eight in 2021.

Wednesday, 5 October 2022
Vatileni E 2022. Rhino poaching cases on the rise.

The minister of environment, forestry and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, says 36 people have been arrested for rhino-related cases this year alone. Shifeta was speaking at the handover of 10 vehicles, park management and law enforcement equipment funded by the Integrated National Park Management II (NamParks V and Covid-19 Fund) and Integrated Wildlife Protection projects in Windhoek on Wednesday. According to Shifeta, it is of great concern that 55 rhinos have been poached to date this year. "This is compared to 44 rhinos poached in 2021.

Wednesday, 5 October 2022
2022. Rhinos poached this year up to 55 - Ministry receives NS 21.7 million worth of equipment to assist in poaching.

A total of 55 rhinos have been poached to date this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) said Wednesday, adding that the current statistics are deeply concerning. This is compared to a figure of 44 rhinos in 2021, however, 36 people have been arrested for rhino-related cases this year, compared to 80 in 2021, the MEFT Minister Pohamba Shifeta highlighted on the occasion of the handover of 10 vehicles, park management and law enforcement equipment funded by the Integrated National Park Management II (NamParks V and Covid-19 Fund) and Integrated…

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