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In the war on poaching, some of the best defenders have four legs. Trained canines are used in some of South Africa's national parks to detect wildlife contraband like rhino horns, pangolin scales, and ivory at airports and roadblocks. Other dogs are trained to track and apprehend poachers in the field. According to Save the Rhino, 9,885 rhinos have been lost to poaching in the last decade. But Carl Thornton, founder and director of Pit-Track K9 Conservation and Anti-Poaching Unit, says the numbers are likely much higher.

The Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has revealed that over the past 10 years, rhino horns weighing 865kg were seized during Sars Customs border operations between 2014 and 2021. Countries where rhino horns have been trafficked to include Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Dubai, Turkey and Nigeria.

In the past three years, gun battles between rhino poachers and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) rangers have killed about 20 people. Wildlife economists say a country like Zimbabwe, which has a large rhino population, needs to continue to remain alert as the endangered species to be under threat from poachers. According to America-based wildlife organisation, World Animal Foundation, the rhino horn is estimated at US$65 000 per kg, which is more than the value of gold or diamonds.

Poaching intensified over the past three years following the 2018 decision by the government to disarm the anti-poaching unit under the DWNP. The 100+ rhinos poached since the disarmament represents a 100+ percent increase in poaching incidents when compared to the previous three years when Botswana lost one rhino per annum in the preceding 2015, 2016, and 2017 when the unit had firearms. There were at least 12 rhinos poached in 2018, 29 rhinos in 2019, and over 50 poached by the end of 2020.

Police who arrested two men carrying a rhino horn on a highway near Witbank allegedly demanded a R30,000 bribe to release them.

A rhino conservationist has turned to the world of non-fungible tokens to help fund efforts to keep poachers at bay.

The 11-count indictment alleges that Lokua and Mujangi worked with a middleman to smuggle four packages into the United States. In August and September, 2020, the defendants sent three shipments containing a total of about 49 pounds of ivory by air freight to Seattle. In May 2021, they sent another package with approximately five pounds of rhinoceros horn. At the same time, the defendants conspired to conduct large transactions via ocean freight, offering the buyer more than two tons of elephant ivory, one ton of pangolin scales, and multiple intact rhinoceros horns. On Nov.

Two foreign nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo were arrested outside Seattle last week and indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and money laundering for allegedly smuggling elephant ivory and rhino horns into the United States.

Two rhino poachers have been sentenced to an effective 16 years' imprisonment each. The men were arrested in February when rangers from the Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge sections of the Kruger National Park reacted after three armed suspects were seen entering the park by crossing the border between South Africa and Mozambique, said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.

Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo have seized $3.5 million worth of ivory, rhinoceros horn and pangolin scales in a joint operation with United States officials, the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa said on Monday. Two wildlife traffickers were also arrested in the United States on Nov. 4, following a more than two-year investigation between the two countries and global police agency Interpol.

Kenya remains a leading spot for laundering proceeds of illegal wildlife trafficking, logging, and fishing in Africa, a report on illicit financial flow by Sentry shows. Dubbed 'Kenya Illicit Finance Risk and Assessment', the report says the country acts as a transshipment site for East Africa. According to the report, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, DRC, Zambia and South Sudan traffic their wildlife products via Kenya heading to Asian countries including China and Hong Kong via Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.

Airlink, the privately owned Southern African regional airline, will implement a company-wide programme involving training, new processes and supply chain interventions to identify and combat illicit wildlife trade. The illegal wildlife trade is valued between USD $50 to 150 billion (approximately between ZAR730 billion - ZAR 2,19 trillion at current exchange rates) per year and is one of the five most lucrative global crimes. Illegal killing and trading of wild animals is a global crisis, with species being hunted to extinction for their horns, skins and teeth.

Five men were arrested last week for conspiring to poach a rhino, while another was found guilty of illegal possession and dealing in python skins. He will have to cough up N$7 000 or spend 20 months behind bars. Meanwhile, three Namibians were arrested at Epukiro when they were found in possession of two live pangolins on 29 October. Tjovanga Kamburona, Tjarirove Kamburona and Nguvarua Tjombe were all charged for the illegal possession and dealing of controlled wildlife products.

Heartbreaking images show a rhino with tears running down its face after its horn was hacked off by cruel poachers in South Africa. The 4,500lb male Southern White rhino was left with a gruesome open wound and also had parts of the bone in its skull removed when it was attacked and left for dead in a game reserve.

Die eienaar van ’n wildsplaas op Outjo, waar 34 renosterhorings in Augustus uit ’n instapkluis gesteel is, is verheug twee verdagtes is in hegtenis geneem.

The arrest of more suspects connected to the theft of 34 rhino horns from a safe in a house in Outjo might follow after two men, Hofan Amakali and Elias Mutwikange, were denied bail after their first appearance in the town’s Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Inspector Maurene Mbeha, spokesperson of the Namibian Police in the Otjozondjupa Region, confirmed the arrest of Amakali and Mutwikange in the middle of last week.

Three men accused of smuggling elephant tusks and attempting to sell the wildlife contraband to undercover detectives in Walvis Bay is set to bring a formal bail application to the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s court later today. Dirk Vermeulen, Edgar Clark were arrested almost three weeks ago and their co-accused Micheal Lusse was arrested a few days later in connection with the sale of two elephant tusks. They were all remanded in custody during the initial appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court Three more suspects have been arrested after the Namibian Police…

Altesaam 280 polisielede van oraloor die land word in teenstropingseenhede op 'n driemaandelikse roteringsbasis in die Palmwagkonsessie en die Etosha en Bwabwata Nasionale Parke ontplooi. Só het die polisiehoof, lt.genl. Sebastian Ndeitunga, verlede week by 'n slypskool vir wildmisdaadwetgewing aan ondersoekbeamptes en aanklaers in die hoofstad gesê.

Altesaam 13 verdagtes is verlede week vanaf 9 tot 15 September in verband met wildmisdaad in hegtenis geneem. Vyf uit die 13 verdagtes is vas oor renosterstropery of die handel in horings, en een oor olifantstropery of handel in ivoor. Volgens die weeklikse statistieke van wildmisdaad van die Namibiese polisie se eenheid vir beskermde hulpbronne (PRU) en die ministerie van die omgewing en toerisme se intelligensie- en ondersoekeenheid, is sewe nuwe sake verlede week aanhangig gemaak. Beslagleggings is op twee elk renosterhorings, olifanttande, lewende ietermagôs,…

Zwei Nashörner sind im Dordabis-Distrikt Wilderern zum Opfer gefallen. Die zwei Dickhäuter sollen zwischen dem 9. und 11. September auf einer Farm erschossen worden sein. Wie die Polizei gestern nach Redaktionsschluss mitteilte, hat der Farmeigentümer am vergangenen Donnerstag die enthornten Kadaver entdeckt. Die Polizei geht von einem Täter aus, doch bisher wurde noch niemand verhaftet und die Ermittlung dauere an.

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, has called on the Namibian police to enforce strict bail conditions to reoccurring poachers  as many of the wildlife trafficking incidents that have been reported are mostly committed by criminals who have been released from police custody on bail. He said that because the poaching business in enticing and profitable, many of the suspects commit the same offense immediately after being released on bail as no one is carefully monitoring their movement and whereabouts. 

A 40-year-old suspected rhino poacher exchanged gunfire with a team of 15 Namibian Police officers and members of the Namibian Defence Force for nearly two hours on a farm outside Otavi on Sunday.

Die vermeende renosterstroper wat Sondag glo op polisie- en weermaglede op 'n plaas buite Otavi losgebrand het, het vanoggend in dié dorp se landdroshof verskyn.

Die vermeende renosterstroper wat Sondag glo op polisie- en weermaglede op 'n plaas buite Otavi losgebrand het, het vanoggend in dié dorp se landdroshof verskyn. Mnr. Joseph Ngoma (42) het op klagte van die onwettige jag van beskermde wild, asook die besit van 'n renosterhoring en 'n ongelisensieerde vuurwapen en ammunisie verskyn. 'n Klag van poging tot moord is bygevoeg omdat hy Sondag glo op 15 polisie- en weermaglede geskiet het toe hulle hom in hegtenis wou neem.