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.
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A South African woman leaving the country for Dubai was nabbed this week with 12 rhino horns in her luggage at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, according to the SA Revenue Service (Sars).
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SA_2022_04_SA woman bound for Dubai nabbed with a dozen rhino horns at OR Tambo_TimesLive.pdf | 399.4 KB |
Durban - A total of 61 rhinos were killed for their horns in KwaZulu-Natal between January 1, 2022, and March 25, 2022.
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SA_2022_04_61 rhinos butchered for their horns in three months in KZN_IOL.pdf | 401.69 KB |
Poachers have since January killed 106 rhinos in the South African KwaZulu-Natal province, surpassing numbers for the whole of 2021, claims a poaching report partially released last week.
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SA_2022_05_Rhino Poaching on the Rise in South Africa_OCCRP.pdf | 564.83 KB |
Rustenburg -Two field rangers were arrested for allegedly sharing tactical information with rhino poaching syndicates in exchange for large sums of money, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, said on Sunday.
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SA_2022_04_Game rangers arrested for allegedly helping poaching syndicates with information_IOL.pdf | 970.27 KB |
Additionally, 770 suspects were arrested for wildlife crimes. Wildlife products confiscated included 108 elephant tusks, 117 pangolins and 59 rhino horns, while 42 unlicensed firearms used in the commission of wildlife crimes were seized.
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NAM_2022_04_38 000 suspects arrested in 2021_Namibian Sun.pdf | 494.34 KB |
Pretoria - The Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced two rhino poachers to an effective 19 years in jail, after the two Mozambican nationals were arrested last month inside the Kruger National Park.
Community participation is key to reducing wildlife crimes amid concerns that the country is losing revenue as a result of poaching. Poachers kill elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns. The official value of ivory is US$250 per kilogramme yet poachers can sell it for as little as US$50 per kilogramme.
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ZIM_2022_04_Zim losing forex to poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 380.12 KB |
Poverty around protected parks is not the main reason rhino poaching thrives, argues researcher Ian Glenn.
Two men have been sentenced to 44 years' imprisonment for rhino poaching. They have also been found guilty of possession of four rhino horns. Their sentences will run concurrently.
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SA_2022_04_Two men sentenced to 44 years imprisonment for rhino poaching_News24.pdf | 366.92 KB |
Moving rhinos from South Africa to Botswana's Okavango Delta without properly involving local people meant key chances to protect the animals from poaching were missed, scientists and community leaders have said. As the Delta reels from a surge in rhino poaching, which has killed close to 100 of the animals in the last three years, the authorities have taken the unusual step of evacuating all remaining both black and white rhinos from the region.
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BOT_2022_04_Botswanas imported rhino poaching crisis_Independent.pdf | 637.21 KB |
Limpopo game farmer Dawie Groenewald and his co-accused were arrested about 12 years ago on a multitude of rhino poaching-related charges, yet their criminal trial has yet to start.
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SA_2022_04_Rhino horn trade case delayed again 12 years after arrest of suspects_IOL.pdf | 669.78 KB |
A report by the South African government reveals a worrisome increase in the number of rhinos poached in 2021, as the decline attributed to the COVID restrictions is now being threatened with reversal. But is it too late to turn the tide?
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SA_2022_04_It is too late to save South Africas rhinos_Fair Planet.pdf | 334.73 KB |
Both of the convicted rhino poachers had entered the Kruger National Park, and one of them was found to be in the country illegally.
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SA_2022_04_Rhino poaching_Two men sentenced for seperate incidents_The South African.pdf | 383.2 KB |
At least 71 rhino have been poached this year alone in Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife parks, putting KZN on the road to the species facing extinction in the region within the next five years!
Just as the barbarity of war in Ukraine or the global climate crisis gradually lose their shock value, the unrelenting massacre of South Africa’s rhino has all but drifted from public view. Behind the scenes, however, at least 75 rhinos have been butchered for their horns in KwaZulu-Natal in the opening months of 2022.
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SA_2022_04_Rhino bloodbath in KZN as poachers gun down 75 animals this year_DailyMaverick.pdf | 1.04 MB |
The reopening of the Skukuza Regional Court is producing positive results, with a 100% conviction rate for rhino poachers over the past two years. The court had been closed by the Mpumalanga Regional Court president Naomi Engelbrecht in August 2019, who wanted it to be moved to Mhala Court about 100 kilometres from Skukuza. However, this decision was overruled and the court was reopened again in April 2021.
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SA_2022_04_Poachers face full might of the law in Skukuza court_Lowvelder.pdf | 526.82 KB |
Wildlife crimes remain a severe threat to the economy and biodiversity as well as to local livelihoods, the recently released Second National Integrated State of the Environment Report for Namibia showed. According to the report, a large number of wildlife crime cases are related to poaching for meat while rhinos currently represent the most valuable and sought after wildlife crime target. "Between 2018 and 2019, there has been an increase in registered wildlife cases related to high-value species growing from 115 to 174 cases.
It will be an exaggeration to say that Namibia has turned the tide against wildlife poaching. The situation on the ground clearly suggests that there is no end in sight, and that the country is experiencing a catastrophic rhino and elephant poaching crisis. These illegal killings appear to be part of an international criminal syndicate, with rustlers quick to recruit willing poachers, with the ultimate aim of exporting our precious ivory and rhino horn to Eastern Asian markets.
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NAM_2016-12_Officials colluding with poachers_Namibian Sun.pdf | 48.22 KB |
Four rhinos, including a prized bull, were shot on private land near Gobabis, however, the poachers only got away with the horns of two.
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NAM_2016-12_Four rhinos butchered at Gobabis_Namibian Sun.pdf | 155.5 KB |
Local environmentalists warn Chinese nationals. About 40 environmental organisations have issued a stern warning to Chinese nationals involved in criminal activities in the country.
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NAM_2016-12_Stop poaching now_Namibian Sun.pdf | 93.17 KB |
Police Chief Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga says poaching activities in the country should not be downplayed as it is costing the country millions per day. Ndeitunga was addressing the Chinese business community in Windhoek on Thursday following the recent arrests of several Chinese nationals carrying various illegal wildlife products.
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NAM_2016-12_Poaching costing country millions_The Namibian.pdf | 313.75 KB |
The Chinese embassy in Namibia said it will not allow a few of its nationals who have been arrested in connection with poaching to tarnish their country's image.
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NAM_2016-12_Criminal Chinese tarnishing name_The Namibian.pdf | 466.32 KB |
The poaching of rhinos and elephants in Namibia is not a crisis because only about 1,2% are poached per year, said environment minister Pohamba Shifeta.
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NAM_2016-12_Shifeta says poaching not a crisis_The Namibian.pdf | 524.75 KB |
Four men appeared in the Opuwo Magistrate's Court in connection with the wounded rhino found in the Etosha National Park last week. The wounded rhino was discovered last Tuesday. The case of Daniel Shilongo, Amupoko Risto Ekandjo, Petrus Ukongo and Epafras Kasita Eliakim was postponed to today for further investigation.
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NAM_2016-12_Nine in court for Etosha poaching_Namibian Sun.pdf | 101.35 KB |
Namibians should unite against organised and serious environmental crimes such as poaching which involve foreign nationals cooperating with locals for the illicit operations to be successful, police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga said at the Force's Christmas carols' event for the Kavango East region on Friday.
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NAM_2016-12_Protect wildlife for future generations_The Namibian.pdf | 348.66 KB |
Elephant and rhino poached, poachers arrested. In what marks a bloody few days for Namibia's wildlife, authorities have scored some major successes with busts and arrests.
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NAM_2016-12_Bloody few days for our wildlife_Namibian Sun.pdf | 88.89 KB |
Six people found carrying rifles in the Etosha National Park last week were arrested after a wounded rhino was found in the area.
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NAM_2016-12_Six arrested in Etosha_The Namibian.pdf | 189.19 KB |
The recent arrest of a police officer who allowed a Chinese man to pass through our airport security system with a suitcase of rhino horns once again brings to the fore the mischief and illicit dealings between poachers and law enforcement agents.
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NAM_2016-12_Crime_Corruption Worse Than It Seems_The Namibian.pdf | 292.7 KB |
Suspected rhino and elephant poachers have gone missing in Etosha National Park after an alleged shootout with the anti-poaching unit of the Namibian police.
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NAM_2016-12_Three missing in Etosha_Namibian Sun.pdf | 100.22 KB |
The Namibian authorities don’t seem to be in any hurry to shut down a rhino horn smuggling syndicate that has infiltrated security at Windhoek’s airport, writes John Grobler.
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Oxpeckers_The horn scam at Windhoeks airport.pdf | 241.34 KB |
A sergeant in the Namibian police has been arrested in connection with a case in which a Chinese national was arrested with 18 rhino horns at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg last week. Sergeant Pendapala Abraham Iitula,42, who worked at Hosea Kutako International Airport, appeared before the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura yesterday on a charge of defeating and obstructing the course of justice.
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NAM_2016-12_Airport cop arrested in rhino horn case_Namibian Sun.pdf | 79.02 KB |
The arrest of a Chinese citizen who allegedly managed to smuggle 18 rhinoceros horns out of Namibia last week landed a member of the Namibian Police in the dock in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura yesterday.
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NAM_2016-12_Airport cop charged over rhino horns_The Namibian.pdf | 534.41 KB |