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.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
TPO - On November 30, the Customs Sub- Department of Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi Customs Department) said that the unit had just discovered 2 Vietnamese passengers suspected of transporting rhino horn from abroad. These two passengers traveled on flight number QR984 from Angola via Doha to Vietnam.
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VIETNAM_2024_12_Noi Bai Customs detected 2 tourists suspected of transporting rhino horn.pdf | 237.29 KB |
The minister said the court enables the swift prosecution for offenses such as wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and pollution, aligning with national and international efforts to safeguard the environment.
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NAM_2024_11_New community courts to advance restorative justice_Dausab_New Era.pdf | 149.2 KB |
Three suspected poachers, who allegedly travelled from Windhoek with the intention of poisoning rhinos at a farm in the Omaheke Region, were arrested by police on Saturday morning. According to the police's weekend crime report, the suspects planned to poach rhinos at Farm Morester in the Trans-Kalahari area by feeding them poisoned fruits. It is alleged that the suspects - aged between 29 and 41 - travelled on a truck from Windhoek to the Tallismanus T-junction, where they disembarked and walked to the farm.
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NAM_2024_11_Three suspected poachers apprehended in Omaheke_Informante.pdf | 46.49 KB |
Three conservancies in Namibia and their joint venture partner are trying to fight off a mine thatthreatens wildlife and community welfare because it will ruin tourism.
Three suspected rhino poachers are expected in court after their arrest in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said they were arrested in Pongola shortly after midnight as part of Operation Vala Umgodi. "Police collected intelligence about the three suspects who were travelling from Hluhluwe to a game farm in Magudu area where they were reportedly going to poach rhinos. An operation was put in motion and the suspects' vehicle was intercepted on the R66 Road in the Pongola policing precinct," he said.
Rhino poachers are becoming domesticated. Not only do they strike more during full moons, but they even poach during daylight. So says a despondent farmer in the Okahandja district who caught two men red-handed on his farm last Tuesday with rhino horns in their possession. He says in the past three weeks, rhino poachers have raided three locations in the central area, poaching and killing rhinos.
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NAM_2024_11_Rhino poachers are becoming tame_Republikein.pdf | 215.82 KB |
Kimberley - The vigilance of a Springbok SAPS K9 team led to the arrest of three suspects found in possession of rhino horns and protected plants in Springbok on Monday, 11 November 2024. The police received information about an unknown vehicle transporting rhino horns on the R355 road between Springbok and Gamoep. The intelligence was operationalised and a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) was set up on the said road to stop and search all vehicles. The police K9 protected species dog, Ozzy positively responded the luggage in one of the vehicles stopped and searched.
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SA_2024_11_South African Police Service_South African Police Service.pdf | 78.36 KB |
The vigilance of a Springbok SAPS K9 team led to the arrest of three suspects found in possession of rhino horns and protected plants in the Northern Cape town.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife remains confident in the effectiveness of its rhino dehorning programme, despite the recent loss of 20 dehorned rhinos targeted for their horn stumps in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP). Since the programme's launch in April, over 1 000 rhinos have been dehorned, resulting in a significant drop in poaching numbers. Initially, Ezemvelo was hesitant to dehorn rhinos due to cost concerns and the sanctuary's unique appeal for tourists seeking to see rhinos with horns.
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SA_2024_11_Ezemvelo confident in rhino dehorning strategy despite spike in poaching_The Witness.pdf | 185.92 KB |
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other conservation partners, has launched a rhino ear-notching and transmitter fitting exercise within the Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ). This initiative will involve the ear-notching and transmitter fitting of 20-25 rhinos, enhancing traceability and protection efforts. The exercise employs advanced technology, including LoRaWAN-enabled tracking devices, which enable near real-time monitoring and improved conservation outcomes.
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KEN_2024_11_Kenya rolls out rhino ear_notching_tracking initiative in Tsavo West_KBC.pdf | 117.62 KB |
The dehorning project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozirhino sanctuary in KwaZulu-Natal has suffered asetback, with at least 20 dehorned animals gunneddown for their remnant horn stumps over the pastmonth. E (right) collect blood samples prior to the dehorning of another rhinoin Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. The dehorning project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozirhino sanctuary in KwaZulu-Natal has suffered asetback, with at least 20 dehorned animals gunneddown for their remnant horn stumps over the past month.
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SA_2024_11_Relentless poachers butcher 20 dehorned rhinos in KZN sanctuary_Daily Maverick.pdf | 600.77 KB |
Hluhluwe - Dehorning rhinos is the last resort in fighting rhino poaching and saving the under-siege species. That's according to the Chief Executive of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Sihle Mkhize. Of 499 rhinos poached across the country in 2023, 307 were from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has dehorned 1,800 rhinos at the park since April this year in an effort to curb rhino poaching.
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SA_2024_11_Dehorning as last resort in fight against rhino poaching_ECNA News.pdf | 62.41 KB |
For the third time this year, a group of southern white rhinos have made a big move as part of an even bigger initiative that’s giving the future of their species hope! Rhino Rewild plans to move 2000 rhinos to safer locations in the next ten years, and they are well on their way.
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SA_2024_11_More southern white rhino move as part of massive rewilding initiative_GoodThingsGuy.pdf | 457.75 KB |
The artificial intelligence (AI) cameras installed in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park failed to detect poachers after four dehorned rhinos were found last week. The carcasses were found on different days and appeared to have been killed a few days earlier.
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SA_2020-11_Poachers evade KZN park s high_tech security and kill four rhinos for their horns_IOL.pdf | 204.57 KB |
As part of its many anti-poaching efforts, the Kruger National Park (KNP) dehorns some of its rhinos to make them a less attractive trophy for poachers.
A HCMC court Friday sentenced a man to six years in jail for illegally transporting rhino horns weighing over six kilograms from Mozambique.
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MOZ_2020-11_Man gets 6 years for smuggling rhino horns from Mozambique_VnExpress International.pdf | 130.23 KB |
Self-proclaimed prophet Jackson Babi has approached the High Court to appeal against a decision by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court to deny him bail. The flamboyant Babi claims magistrate Linus Samunzala misdirected himself in law and fact when he denied him bail. In September, the lower court refused to release Babi on bail, citing he failed to give convincing evidence to be released pending his trial. The court also ruled there was a likelihood Babi would interfere with the investigations.
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NAM_2020-11_Preacher takes bail fight to High Court_New Era.pdf | 479.72 KB |
The rhino population at Uganda's Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary has been growing steadily, from nearly extinction in the 1970s to 32 at present, due to increased security and protection.
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UGA_2020-11_ Uganda s rhino population grows after years of extinction_BigNewsNetwork.pdf | 385.17 KB |
Etosha - Although poaching of endangered species such as rhino and elephant have been reported to be minimal in the Etosha National Park, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has called on law enforcement officials to do ballistic testing among communities adjacent to the park. Shifeta made the call Wednesday when he was briefed on the security situation cluster on antipoaching operation 'Yes Ongava' phase 18 in the Etosha National Park.
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NAM_2020-11_K9 unit helps sniff out poacher_New Era.pdf | 504.52 KB |
Das Ministerium für Umwelt, Forstwirtschaft und Tourismus greift hart und konsequent gegen die Wilderei durch. Im Etoscha-Nationalpark wurde vor einiger Zeit eine spezialisierte Hundeeinheit stationiert, nun soll noch eine berittene Einheit dazukommen. "Der Etoscha-Nationalpark ist Namibias Aushängeschild. Touristen reisen in den Park und wollen die Artenvielfalt bewundern und beobachten - und genau das müssen wir schützen", stellte Umweltminister Pohamba Shifeta am Mittwoch bei Okaukuejo klar.
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NAM_2020-11_Beritten gegen die Wilderei_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 380.79 KB |
NAM_2020-11_Mounted against poaching_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 378.65 KB |
A Vietnamese woman was arrested at Maputo International Airport on Monday, found in possession of ve pieces of rhino horn and 162 assorted lions' teeth and claws. It can be inferred that three rhinos and 12 lions, both species protected by law, were slaughtered in the amassing of the haul.
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MOZ_2020-11_Vietnamese arrested with rhino horns lions teeth and claws_Club of Mozambique.pdf | 975.61 KB |
Kenya's black rhino population has doubled from less than 400 in 1985 to 794 by the end of 2019. Kenya is home to the last remaining two Northern White Rhinos in the world. "But, the Northern White Rhinos are endangered. There are only two existing in the world that are only found at the Ol Pejeta conservancy. We are making sure the white rhinos are saved and we produce more. We must protect these animals," said Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala during a webinar commemorating World Rhino Day last month.
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KEN_2020-11_ Rhino Numbers Go Up As Efforts to Fight Poaching Pay Off_allAfrica_com.pdf | 233.25 KB |
An evangelical preacher who has been in jail since May after being arrested over the possession of rhino horns and the poaching of a rhino in the Gobabis district on Friday denied guilt on a charge of bribery in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court.
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NAM_2020-11_Preacher denies bribery charge_The Namibian.pdf | 714.47 KB |
Namibian conservation efforts have faced a number of major crises over the past half century.
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NAM_2020-11_Conservation in a crisis_The Namibian.pdf | 702.04 KB |
The three Kruger National Park employees who were arrested for possession of rhino horns were granted bail in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate's Court last Thursday.
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SA_2020-11_Alleged rhino poachers granted bail_Lowvelder.pdf | 505.28 KB |
The Thirty Namibia Dollar banknote that was issued by the Bank of Namibia during the lockdown to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Independence, has proven so popular with collectors that a recent auction of only a few notes garnered proceeds of N$480,000.
Die Bank of Namibia (BoN) hat gestern dem Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) eine Spende in Höhe von 480000 N$ übergeben. "Das Nashorn ist eins der schönsten prähistorischen Tiere auf der Erde, jedoch ist es auf dem Weg der Ausrottung aufgrund des unverantwortlichen Verhaltens von Menschen" so der stellvertretende BoN-Gouverneur, Ebson Uanguta (r).
The Bank of Namibia (BoN) joined the fight to preserve Namibian rhinos by supporting the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia through a donation of N$480 000.
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NAM_2020-11_Support for SRT_Windhoek Express.pdf | 324.98 KB |