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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 - 15 of 15
Friday, 24 November 2023
McCain N 2023. Locking horns with crooks: Wildlife crime on the rise in Southern Africa, driven by poaching in SA.

The consequences for local ecosystems and communities are serious, [including the] deterioration of natural capital, social stability and cohesion; extinction of animal species; and erosion of sustainable economic development. South Africa is home to the world's largest rhino population and is a key source for the illicit supply chain. In the first six months of this year, 231 rhinos were killed in South African game reserves. Of these, 143 were in KwaZulu-Natal.

Friday, 24 November 2023
2023. Free-running hounds deployed to curb mostly rhino poaching yield massive results in Kruger National Park.

Poaching in the Kruger National Park has seen a massive decrease in recent years attributed to the introduction of free-running hounds. The dogs were introduced almost eight years ago to arguably South Africa's number one visited national park to curb mostly the poaching of rhinos for their horns.

Tuesday, 21 November 2023
2023. Tribunal vietnamita condena homem de 36 anos a 12 anos de cadeia por tráfico de chifres de rinoceronte em Angola.

Vietnamese court sentences 36-year-old man to 12 years in prison for drug trafficking rhino horns in Angola.

Sunday, 19 November 2023
Mthethwa C 2023. Former Kruger National Park field ranger sentenced to 10 years for rhino killing.

A former field ranger, tasked with protecting wildlife, has been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for killing a rhino in the Nwanetsi section of the Kruger National Park in 2020. Eckson Musa Matumbu was sentenced at the Skukuza Regional Court on Friday. According to the South African National Parks (SANParks), Matumbu was arrested in February 2020 for killing a rhino with an official firearm issued to him and using non-issued ammunition. He was initially granted bail, which was later cancelled; the case was remanded to October 2023 for conviction and…

Tuesday, 14 November 2023
2023. Farmworkers halt rhino poaching in Otjozondjupa.

Alert farmworkers at Farm Eden, one of the most remote but iconic farms in the Otjozondjupa Region, prevented rhino poaching in the area, subsequently leading to the arrest of three suspected poachers.

Saturday, 11 November 2023
2023. Bail application of alleged Limpopo rhino poaching kingpin postponed.

Joseph Nyalungu, popularly known as Big Joe, is accused of involvement in rhino poaching in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The charges against him include possession of rhino horns, poaching, and money laundering.

Monday, 6 November 2023
Chaco S 2023. Wildlife crimes in Cameroon: Prosecution needs to be bolstered as poaching remains a menace despite measures.

Cameroon ranked seventh out of 29 African nations in terms of being a source or transit point for illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) during the decade spanning from 2009 to 2019, according to a new report. This is despite the measures taken by the law enforcement to curb the menace as increased involvement from the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), CITES authorities and various other stakeholders, according to the report titled Analysis of Wildlife Court Cases in Cameroon: Jan 2010-Dec 2022. The most frequently…

Thursday, 2 November 2023
Chikoti M 2023. Malawi High Court rejects Chinese convict's appeal.

The High Court in Malawi has rejected Chinese wildlife trafficking convict Lin Yun Hua's appeal against his 14- year sentence which was handed to him by Lilongwe Magistrate Court. Lin appealed against the conviction and the sentence but the High Court has rejected the appeal because it was filed outside the required period. Lin received 14 years in 2021 for dealing in rhino horn, alongside 14 years for possession of rhino horn and six years for money laundering.

Thursday, 29 June 2017
Smit E 2017. Rhino death toll rises.

Seven more rhinos have been killed by poachers in Etosha, driving the species ever closer to extinction. Seven rhino carcasses discovered during aerial patrols in the Etosha National Park at the weekend have been confirmed to have been poached. This brings the total of poached rhinos to 16 this year, while there have also been 16 elephants poached this year. Altogether 59 rhinos were poached in the country last year and 95 rhinos in 2015, 56 in 2014 and 9 in 2013.

Thursday, 29 June 2017
2017. Seven rhinos poached in Etosha.

Seven of the eight rhino carcasses found at the Etosha National Park this week show that the animals had been poached. According to the environment ministry's chief public relations officer, Romeo Muyunda, the eighth animal had died of natural causes. In a statement yesterday, he said no arrests had been made, and reiterated the government's offer of N$60 000 for anyone providing information which could lead to the apprehension of the suspects. The eight rhino carcasses were discovered in the park between 23 and 25 June 2017.

Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Smit E 2017. Seven rhino carcasses found in Etosha.

Seven rhino carcasses of which several have already been confirmed to be poached, were discovered in the Etosha National Park this past weekend during routine patrols by officials of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda yesterday confirmed to Namibian Sun that during patrols in the park between 23 and 25 June seven rhino carcasses were discovered. "The carcasses are all believed to be for this year."

Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Smit E 2017. New wildlife law tough as nails.

The bill, amongst others, proposes that foreigners who are found guilty of wildlife crimes will not be allowed back in Namibia after completing their jail terms. This will apply to foreigners who are found guilty of possession of, and dealing in, elephant and rhino products.

Monday, 26 June 2017
Menges W 2017. Arrest warrant issued in rhino horn case.

A Chinese man who was arrested and charged after the police found two rhinoceros horns at a rented flat in Windhoek early this year is now a fugitive from justice, having failed to attend a scheduled court appearance last week. With the 29-year-old Chen Nan absent from the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, where he was supposed to appear for the first time since being granted bail in April, magistrate Vanessa Stanley on Wednesday issued a warrant for his arrest, provisionally cancelled his bail and provisionally declared his bail deposit of N$300 000 forfeited to…

Thursday, 22 June 2017
2017. Suspected poacher dodges court.

Chinese national Nan Chen, arrested in January this year for illegal possession of two rhino horns, is allegedly on the run. The 29-year-old Nan, who is free on bail of N$300 000, was scheduled to make another appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court yesterday, but was absent, and his privately-instructed defence lawyer Kadhila Amoomo also did not know his whereabouts.

Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Suspected poachers remanded in custody.

The four suspected poachers who were arrested on Saturday following a shoot-out with the police at Khorixas will remain in custody after the court denied them bail.

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