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.
The trial is set to begin this September, close to three years after the 50 pieces of horns were seized not far from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The men sprung a surprise in court today when they opted for a trial. It was a reversal of the guilty plea they had recorded at an earlier court appearance last month. Media and conservation groups gathered at court on Wednesday (24 April) had expected a penalty to be given to the two men.
The Special Wildlife Office of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted a 40-foot container of illegal wildlife products in Vietnam. Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the crime, barely six weeks after a similar seizure by Vietnam authorities. The Nigeria Customs Service, in a statement made available to newsmen, and signed by Asst. Comptroller Abimbola Isafiade, said the operation was conducted by the combined efforts of the officers of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C, in a joint enforcement operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission, WJC…
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NIG_2024_05_Customs intercepts 40_ft container of illegal wildlife products_Daily Post.pdf | 439.1 KB |
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SA_2024_05_State of poaching in the Kruger National Park_Lifestyle.pdf | 1.43 MB |
Trotz Bemühungen um Eindämmung des Handels mit bedrohten Tierarten wie Elefanten geht der illegale Handel mit Wildtieren weltweit unvermindert weiter. Dies geht aus dem einem Bericht des Büros der Vereinten Nationen für Drogen- und Verbrechensbekämpfung (UNODC) hervor, der eine Bestandsaufnahme der weltweiten Anti-Wilderei- Maßnahmen enthält.
Despite progress to curtail the trafficking of iconic species such as elephants, illegal wildlife trafficking continues unabated on a global scale. This is according to the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which takes stock of efforts to counter poaching worldwide. The report highlights that wildlife trafficking has not seen a significant enough decrease over the past two decades, prompting a call for enhanced enforcement of existing laws, including measures to combat corruption.
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NAM_2024_05_Illegal wildlife trade remains immense_UN_Namibian Sun.pdf | 66.33 KB |
The Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office, over the weekend, announced the arrest of a Shipper and supplier responsible for the illegal exportation of a 40ft container of illegal Wildlife to Vietnam. It was gathered that the illegal wildlife products were intercepted and reported in Vietnam in April 2024 while the arrest of the suspects was made by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) and the enforcement officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, Imo state.
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NIG_2024_05_Customs arrests shipper_supplier over illegal export of wildlife_Leadership.pdf | 492.35 KB |
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NAM_2024_05_Other cases relating to poaching to be joined in Brockerhoff case_Informante.pdf | 112.8 KB |
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NAM_2024_05_Five suspects arrested for rhino poaching in Gobabis_Informante.pdf | 253.66 KB |
Die beskuldigdes wat die afgelope naweek betrokke was by die stropery van ‘n witrenosterbul op 'n plaas in die Gobabis-distrik, bly in aanhouding. Volgens die hoofwoordvoerder van die Namibiese polisie, adjunk-kommissaris Kauna Shikwambi, het die beskuldigdes reeds in die landdroshowe van Gobabis en Katutura in Windhoek verskyn. Die name van die beskuldigdes soos verskaf deur Shikwambi is Micheal Shomeya Koshondatile (39), Barnabas Shitaleni Muzanime (35), die 31-jarige Petrus Petrus Nghifindaka, Victory Henghono (ook 31) en die 34-jarige Imanuel Stafanus Nangwasha.
The suspects involved in the poaching of a white rhinoceros bull on a farm in the Gobabis district remain in custody. According to the spokesperson of the Namibian police, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the suspects have already appeared in the magistrate's courts of Gobabis and Katutura in Windhoek over the past weekend. The names of the suspects as provided by Shikwambi are Micheal Shomeya Koshondatile (39), Barnabas Shitaleni Muzanime (35), 31-year-old Petrus Petrus Nghifindaka, Victory Henghono (also 31), and 34-year-old Imanuel Stafanus Nangwasha.
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2024_05_No bail for rhino poachers from Gobabis bull_Namibian Sun.pdf | 296.26 KB |
Namibia's precious wildlife is under threat from criminals, as illegal wildlife trade has become the world's fourth-largest form of transnational crime. This was said by Ana Beatriz Martins, the European Union's ambassador to Namibia, at a press debriefing for 'Operation Saving Wildlife through Multilateral Cooperation in Africa' (Sama) in Windhoek yesterday. She said dozens of wildlife species have been pushed ever closer to extinction by habitat loss and illegal trade.
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NAM_2024_05_Namibian precious wildlife is under threat from criminals_The Namibian.pdf | 550.94 KB |
'n Karkas van 'n groot witrenosterbul is Sondagoggend op 'n plaas in die Gobabis-distrik ontdek wat
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NAM_2024_04_Neue Nashorn_Initiative_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 211.91 KB |
NAM_2024_04_New rhino initiative_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 182.44 KB |
Two suspected poachers were shot to death in an exchange of fire with members of the anti-poaching unit in the Etosha National Park on Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Scorpionbelt, Western Zone, when a patrol of the anti-poaching unit observed shoeprints that had entered the park through the park's fence. According to the police, the suspects' tracks were pursued for a distance of 60 km up to a water point where Rhinos mostly feed on small shrubs.
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NAM_2024_05_Suspected poachers killed in exchange of fire with cops in Etosha_Informante.pdf | 63.5 KB |
Poachers should be ashamed of themselves for killing innocent animals, said deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu. Just a week ago, Nambahu explained that the ministry was aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. "Shame on them for doing what they are doing to innocent animals. I have never heard of a rhino destroying a mahangu field or killing anyone. Why must it be killed because someone wants its parts?" he asked.
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NAM_2015-05_Nambahu shames poachers_The Namibian.pdf | 456.78 KB |
The Kunene Region has been free of rhino poaching for nearly five months. This was revealed by Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia chief operating officer, Dr Axel Hartmann, during a debate about legalising the trade in rhino horns in Namibia.
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NAM_2015-05_Kunene Region winning the battle against poaching_Namibian Sun.pdf | 49.63 KB |
The three Chinese men accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhinoceros horns out of Namibia in March last year could be joined in the dock by a compatriot, after another suspect was arrested in connection with their case this week. The fourth suspect to be arrested about the alleged attempt to smuggle rhino horns and a leopard skin out of Namibia on 24 March last year is a 40-year-old Chinese resident of Otjiwarongo, Wang Hui, who was apprehended in Windhoek on Monday evening.
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NAM_2015-05_Fourth Chinese charged over rhino horns_The Namibian.pdf | 507.01 KB |
There has been a major breakthrough with the arrest of a Chinese man whom the police believe to be the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases. Wang Huii was arrested on Monday at the Windhoek Country Club and has been charged with the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. He appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday. The 40-year-old Huii is being linked to the three Chinese men who were arrested with 14 rhino horns last year at the Hosea Kutaku International Airport.
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NAM_2015-05_Rhino horn smuggling kingpin arrested_Namibian Sun.pdf | 95.6 KB |
Deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu says his ministry is aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. He said this during a sponsorship handover by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the wildlife crime prevention unit of the Namibian police force yesterday.
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NAM_2015-05_Locals are being used to poach_Nambahu_The Namibian.pdf | 216.69 KB |
The Namibian police are investigating a case of illegal hunting of protected game, after two white rhinoceroses were found dead at the weekend. The rhino carcasses were found at Farm Okamahoro, situated approximately 30 kilometres west of Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa region. The game farm is a privately owned commercial entity, farming with game like rhinos.
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NAM_2015-05_Two white rhinos killed_The Namibian.pdf | 209.47 KB |
Another two white rhinos have been poached on a game farm near Okahandja, pushing the number of rhino carcasses that have been discovered in Namibia this year up to 62. Police spokesperson Inspector Slogan Matheus yesterday confirmed that two white rhinos were discovered on farm Okamahoro in the Snyrivier District. The game farm is situated approximately 30km outside of Okahandja.
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NAM_2015-05_62 rhinos poached so far this year_Namibian Sun.pdf | 47.83 KB |
Last year Namibia lost 24 rhinos to poaching. For the first four months of this year, 60 rhino carcasses have already been found. If that is not a crisis, what is?
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NAM_2015-05_Namibia We Have A Crisis_The Namibian.pdf | 349.37 KB |
Suspects have been identified in the ongoing Etosha National Park poaching spree and arrests are expected soon. This is according to Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, who also announced that the reward money for information leading to the arrest of the poachers had been doubled from N$30 000 to N$60 000. The minister said there had already been breakthroughs in the north-eastern regions, including Zambezi, where six suspects had been arrested.
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NAM_2015-05_Etosha poaching_ Arrests expected soon_Namibian Sun.pdf | 95.04 KB |
The probe into poaching in the Etosha National Park, where 54 rhino carcasses have been found this year alone, will include investigating rumours of the possible involvement of park staff and management. "Everything will be investigated and no stone will be left unturned. I have already seen two problems and that is the negligence of staff and the other suspicions could be very serious," said Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta.
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NAM_2015-05_Etosha killing fields_Park staff to be probed_Namibian Sun.pdf | 103.94 KB |