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Somkhanda Game Reserve has embraced the latest tracking technology in their fight against rhino poaching within the reserve. The game reserve, based in the Zululand District in KwaZulu-Natal, carried out a successful three-day rhino dehorning project last month, during which they also implemented tracking technology to key individuals in the herds.

Oshikoto police regional commander Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku has issued a stern warning to poachers, saying they risk their lives by engaging with armed anti-poaching units. Without mincing her words, she warned that the authorities are committed to protecting the country's fauna and flora and said poachers risk their own lives if they shoot at security personnel deployed to safeguard wildlife species.

Over 30 rhinos were reportedly poached in a period of six months alone in the Etosha National Park. The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Oshikoto Regional Commander, Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku revealed this on Wednesday at a briefing with Oshana Governor Elia Irimari, constituency councillors and traditional authority councillors, on the fight against wildlife crimes in and around Etosha.

South Africa recorded 229 rhinos poached in the first half of 2024, a slight decline from the same period last year, and the government said global cooperation is essential to save the rare animals. Poaching poses the biggest threat to the rhino population in South Africa where at least one rhino is killed for their horns every day. Rhino horns - made primarily of keratin, a protein also found in human hair and fingernails - are prized in some East Asian countries for traditional medicine and jewellery.

Seven alleged rhino poachers were refused bail last week in the Omararu Magistrate's Court following protests and petitions by the community against their release.

Police arrested two Chinese businessmen for alleged extortion, attempted murder and robbery at Walvis Bay after they held another Chinese businessman at gunpoint on Saturday.

The delivery of the verdict in the trial of four Chinese citizens charged with having tried to smuggle a hoard of rhino horns out of Namibia in March 2014, has again been postponed by a month.

The long-awaited judgement in the trail in which four Chinese nationals stand accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth millions out of Namibia has again been postponed. A large media contingent yesterday gathered at court ready to hear the judgement in the largest rhino horn smuggling trial in Namibia, but had to turn away disappointed when it was postponed for almost a month to 13 September.

Thirty-five rhino carcasses have been discovered that were poached last year, raising the 2015 figure to 125 rhinos killed. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism yesterday announced this new statistic and said poachers had killed 37 rhinos so far this year.

The environment minister, Pohamba Shifeta, described the latest rhino and elephant poaching figures as "a pity", saying his ministry will do all it can to keep these figures from rising further. According to figures released by the minister yesterday, three more rhino carcasses, possibly poached for their horns, were recently discovered in the Etosha National Park, pushing the figure of known rhino mortalities up to 37 this year, which brings the total rhino deaths since last year to 162.

The rhino-poaching court case of former Brave Warriors team doctor Gerson Kandjii and four other accused was postponed to 23 September after he and co-accused Stephanus David failed to turn up at the Okahao Magistrate’s Court on Friday.