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Oshana police commissioner Naftal Sakaria says armed poachers found in the Etosha National Park should surrender to the police or they will be shot. Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo last week appointed Sakaria as the commander of the anti-poaching unit in Etosha National Park for a period of six months. While in this position, he will also remain the Oshana regional commander. Sakaria is tasked with commanding the police and military forces deployed in the flagship park to protect animals, especially iconic animals such elephants and rhinos, from being poached.

Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, the Oshana Regional Police Commander, was recently named the Gold Commander for the Etosha National Park Anti-poaching Safety and Security squad. Sakaria was named on March 23 and will, for the next six months, be in charge of directing the joint Nampol/NDF operational work in the Etosha National Park. He said that he will concurrently be in charge of the Oshana Region and also the anti-poaching operations in Etosha. "I have already been to Etosha, rotated the personnel and properly briefed them," he said.

The Wilderness Foundation has offered a reward in an effort to put the brakes on the recent spate of rhino poaching in the Eastern Cape.

The latest reports from national governments and agencies reveal (so far) that approximately 548 rhinos were poached in Africa last year. Overall, the total is a slight increase compared to 2021, when 539 rhinos were poached. This is a significant change from 2013 - 2017, when more than 1,000 rhinos were killed each year, yet it’s still dangerously high. On average, one rhino is still poached every 16 hours. Most of the rhinos poached last year were killed in Namibia and South Africa. In both countries, poachers have shifted their focus to new places.

Pretoria - A woman involved in rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park was on Friday jailed for 16 years by the Skukuza Regional Court.

A new report from the European Union-funded international crime response group, Enact, says organized crime groups from South Africa and China - in collaboration with corrupt wildlife officials - are "decimating" big game animals in one of the world's premier game reserves. 

Two men were arrested yesterday around 09:00 in the Dordabis area after they allegedly poached two black rhinos, a cow and a calf, on a farm. The suspects had a hunting rifle in their possession, as well as 15 bullets, of which three had already been used. Two rhino horns were also found. The rhinos are valued at around N$500 000 each. The men were charged with various offences, including hunting protected wildlife and being in possession of unlicensed weapons. Police investigations continue.

Twee mans is gister omstreeks 09:00 in die Dordabis-omgewing in hegtenis geneem nadat hulle glo twee swartrenosters, ‘n koei en ‘n kalf, op ‘n plaas doodgeskiet het. Die verdagtes het ‘n jaggeweer in hul besit gehad, asook 15 koeëls, waarvan drie reeds gebruik is. Twee renosterhorings is ook gevind. Die waarde van die renosters is sowat N$500 000 per renoster. Die mans is aangekla vir verskeie oortredings, insluitende vir die jag van beskermde wild en omdat hulle in besit was van ongelisensieërde wapens. Die polisie se ondersoek duur voort.

Zwei Männer wurden gestern gegen 09:00 Uhr in der Region Dordabis festgenommen, nachdem sie auf einer Farm zwei Spitzmaulnashörner, eine Kuh und ein Kalb, gewildert haben sollen. Die Verdächtigen waren im Besitz eines Jagdgewehrs und von 15 Kugeln, von denen drei bereits verwendet worden waren. Außerdem wurden zwei Nashornhörner gefunden. Die Nashörner haben einen Wert von jeweils rund 500 000 N$. Die Männer wurden wegen verschiedener Vergehen angeklagt, unter anderem wegen der Jagd auf geschützte Wildtiere und des Besitzes von nicht zugelassenen Waffen.

The High Court in Polokwane has convicted and sentenced 36- year-old Bethuel Mdubane to 24 years effective imprisonment for an assortment of crimes including murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and hunting and shooting two rhinos. Additionally, Mdubane was also sentenced for unlawful possession of stolen car, two counts of possession of ammunition, and three counts of unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.

The Namibian Police have arrested two men, aged 47 and 27, who allegedly shot and killed two black rhinos (a cow and a calf) on a farm in the Dordabis area, Khomas Region. According to Chief Inspector Elifas Kuwinga, spokesperson of the Namibian Police, the incident happened on Thursday, 16 March 2023, at about 09:00. It is alleged that the two suspects shot and killed two rhinos and were also found with a 375-calibre firearm, with 13 live cartridges and three spent cartridges. The rhinos are worth N$500 000 each. Two rhino horns were also found at the scene.

Last week, the South African Police Service in Piet Retief achieved a commendable result by arresting a 27-year-old man in possession of two rhino horns. The arrest came after members of the public brought information about the suspect’s alleged dealings to the attention of the police. Upon searching his vehicle, the police found two rhino horns hidden inside the bonnet and wrapped with black plastic. The fact that the local community is speaking out against wildlife crime is also a positive development.

Twee Namibiese mans wat na bewering 'n renoster probeer stroop het, is verlede Woensdag met 'n jaggeweer en ammunisie in hegtenis geneem. Volgens die weeklikse wildmisdaadverslag van die Namibiese polisie se eenheid vir beskermde hulpbronne en die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme se intelligensie- en ondersoekeenheid, is mnre. Mbakondja Tjatindi en Matias Kaurikengererua by Oshakati in hegtenis geneem.

Twee verdagtes wat glo 'n renoster in die Etosha Nasionale Park gestroop het, is vasgetrek. Die woordvoerder van die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme, mnr. Romeo Muyunda, het vanoggend aan Republikein bevestig dat twee vermeende renosterstropers die naweek in hegtenis geneem is.

Two suspects who allegedly poached a rhino in Etosha National Park were arrested. The spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Mr. Romeo Muyunda confirmed to Republikein this morning that two suspected rhino poachers were arrested over the…

Namibia has lost nine rhinos and one elephant to poaching since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said Monday. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said poaching took place inside private owned farms and the country's national parks, with the latest incident taking place last Friday when one elephant was poached. Two suspects have since been arrested.

The Namibia Police Force arrested and charged 16 suspects on charges of rhino or elephant poaching and conspiracy of elephant poaching last week. Police also confiscated five firearms, rounds of ammunitions and a motor vehicle. Among other items which were recovered during the anti-poaching operation  are;  varied wild life products  such as  four elephant tusks, a pangolin skin , two duiker carcasses, one waterbuck carcass and one warthog carcass.

On the flip side, among other features is the black rhino which faces extinction. Namibia is one of the vestiges of the black rhino, one of the world's most endangered animal species.

Die Population des Spitzmaulnashorns in Afrika hat sich nach den dramatischen Einbrüchen seit den 70er Ja Zahl der Tiere in der Wildnis von geschätzten 4845 auf 5630 Exemplare, wie die Weltnaturschutzunion (IUCN) am Donner (Diceros bicornis) vom Aussterben bedroht.

Three suspected rhino poachers who allegedly strayed into Bubye Conservancy in Mazunga area in Beitbridge district, where they intended to poison wildlife were on Thursday denied bail by the High Court.

The term 'poacher' is often used for anyone involved in wildlife crime. In reality, wildlife crime functions through a complex web of criminals, where the poachers – the people carrying out the illegal killing of an animal to initiate the trade in its parts – are at the lowest level.

The trial of six men facing rhino-poaching charges continued in the Grahamstown High Court this week. East London residents Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Misheck Chauke, Simba Masinge and Nhamo Muyambo, and  Abraham Moyane were arrested in July 2018 during Operation Full Moon – the Eastern Cape Rhino Task Team’s code name for its anti-poaching operations. All six have since been in custody. They are accused on four counts.

Despite significant anti-poaching efforts, the rhino poaching onslaught continues unabated in Botswana with 47 rhinos lost to poachers over the last 12 months. This has devastated Botswana’s rhino populations and significantly set back the work of Rhino Conservation Botswana. For the past two decades we have worked with the Government of Botswana and private sector partners to bring rhinos from high poaching areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe into Botswana’s Okavango Delta.