Search results

Vietnamese syndicates play an outsized, sophisticated role in the illicit trade of elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, pangolin scales, and other wildlife products, according to a recent undercover investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency that details sourcing, packing, and transporting ivory and rhino horn through an intricate maze of transport routes out of various African ports to Malaysia, then through Laos, and finally overland into Vietnam. The numbers are staggering.

R155 billion!

A Mozambican national has been sentenced to ten years behind bars for killing a rhino at Kruger National Park in Skukuza while serving another jail sentence for a similar offence. The Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced a Mozambican national, Lucky Mabunda, 47, to 10 years of direct imprisonment for killing a rhino in Skukuza National Park in 2019.

Vanjaar is 39 renosters tot dusver in Namibië gestroop, vergeleke met 92 in 2022 en 50 in 2021. Die minister van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme, Pohamba Shifeta, het hierdie syfers gedeel by die herdenking van Wêreldrenosterdag Vrydag by Okaukuejo in die Etosha Nasionale Park. By die geleentheid het die minister ook amptelik 'n perde-teenstropingseenheid van stapel gestuur. Die ministerie het altesaam 13 perde teen N$10 000 elk gekoop, met finansieringshulp van die Wildprodukte- rustfonds.

This year, 39 rhinos have been poached so far in Namibia, compared to 92 in 2022 and 50 in 2021. Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta presented these figures at the commemoration of World Rhino Day on Friday at Okaukuejo in Etosha National Park. At the event, the minister also officially launched a horse anti-poaching unit. A total of 13 horses have been purchased by the ministry for N$10 000 each, with funding support from the Game Product Trust Fund.

The anti-poaching drive was strengthened with the recent launch of two Rhino Management plans and a horse patrol unit last week at the Etosha National Park on Friday. Speaking at the commemoration of World Rhino Day, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), Pohamba Shifeta said the day is dedicated to raising awareness about the threats that the rhino population is facing and how the world can come together and protect these endangered species.

Für die Erhaltung und den Schutz der Nashörner führt das Ministerium laut Pohamba daher den Einsatz einer Pferdeeinheit ein. Insgesamt 13 Pferde wurden vom Ministerium mit finanzieller
Unterstützung des "Game Product Trust Fund" für jeweils 10 000 N$ gekauft. Demnach werden
acht Pferde im Etosha-Nationalpark stationiert sein und fünf im Waterberg-Plateau-Park.

Namibia strengthened its anti-poaching drive by launching two rhino preservation plans and a horse patrol unit at the country's Etosha National Park on Friday. Speaking at the commemoration of World Rhino Day, which falls on 22 September every year, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta said the day is dedicated to raising awareness of the threats facing the rhino population, and how the world can come together to protect these endangered species.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has launched a new initiative to fight against rhino poaching. Speaking at the launch of the initiative, which coincided with the commemoration of the World Rhino Day hosted at Okaukejo over the weekend, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said Namibia has the second-largest white Rhino population in the world after South Africa and the largest population of black Rhinos in the world. However, Shifeta said that rhinos have become an endangered species, and, in some areas, they have even become extinct…

As the globe observes World Rhino Day, South Africa has lost 231 rhinos to poaching since the beginning of the year.

South Africa has lost 231 rhinos to poaching since the beginning of the year.

As the international community marks World Rhino Day on Friday, South Africa and other parts of the African continent are still facing the challenge of rhino poaching. The International Rhino Foundation says poachers have shifted their focus from the larger rhino populations to smaller, and possibly more susceptible ones. In South Africa, poachers are focusing on smaller areas, like the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, which has borne the brunt of South Africa’s rhino poaching deaths in the past year. While Namibia, home to the…

Campbell's death was as gruesome as the killers' previous nine known crimes. Found mutilated in a pool of blood at his home in the district of Albany, South Africa, in June 2016, Campbell had been drugged but was likely in pain before he died from his injuries. Campbell was a white rhinoceros living on a private reserve, and his killing would be the last hurrah of the now notorious Ndlovu Gang.

There are around 26 000 rhinos left in the world. 68% of those live in South Africa. By far the majority of them are Southern White Rhinos, which are particularly vulnerable to poaching, because most of them are found in the open Savannah of national parks, making them easy targets. There are four other remaining species of rhino. The Black Rhino, of which there are around 6000, is found in southern and east Africa. The other African species, the Northern White Rhino, is effectively extinct, as the two remaining are both female.

Pangolin poaching for enhanced sexual pleasure on the increase. The Commander of Botswana Defence Force, Lieutenant General Placid Segokgo, has warned that poaching will continue to be part of our lives for as long as some countries in Asia cling to their beliefs that some organs of wild animals give them sexual powers. Addressing journalists at a recent press briefing, Segokgo said, “There are some people in the East who believe that consuming or applying samples of organs such as horns, teeth, or even skins enhance their sexual…

South African National Parks (SANParks) recently introduced new measures to help combat poaching in the country's biggest national parks. Building on last year’s donation of four Bat Hawk surveillance aircraft to aid surveillance, conservation,and anti-poaching efforts in the Kruger National Park, Anglo American Platinum donated another BatHawk last week that will be going to SANParks' Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape.

Building on last year's donation of four Bat Hawk surveillance aircraft to South African National Parks (SANParks) to aid surveillance, conservation and anti-poaching efforts in the Kruger National Park, Anglo American Platinum this morning donated another Bat Hawk that will be going to SANParks' Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape. In addition, a Bat Hawk aircraft will be donated to Mapungubwe National Park, which is located on the border of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Drie vermeende renosterhoringsmokkelaars het Maandag in die landdroshof op Ondangwa verskyn en is borgtog geweier. Volgens die hoof van die Blue Rhino-taakspan, komm. Barry de Klerk, is een van die beskuldigdes, mnr. Pendapala Herman, op borgtog uit in die opspraakwekkende saak van die diefstal van 33 renosterhorings op Outjo. Die ander twee beskuldigdes, is konstabel Michael Muronga, wat verbonde is aan die misdaadvoorkomingseenheid van die Namibiese polisie op Otjiwarongo, en mnr. Alfons Tjukuru van die Oshanastreek.

Forty SANParks employees found guilty of being involved in rhino poaching have been dismissed, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has revealed. She was responding to a Parliamentary question on whether any SANParks staff were involved in the poaching of rhino for their horns. "SANParks staff members have been involved in rhino poaching since 2009. In dealing with rhino poaching-related offences, SANParks runs a parallel process alongside the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)," said Creecy.

An Otjiwarongo-based police constable and a pastor of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church were arrested on Friday in Omuthiya after they were found in possession of a rhino horn. A third accomplice from Oshana region was also arrested. The trio was apprehended around 02h15 after the police received a tipoff from Otjiwarongo that the suspects were allegedly carrying prohibited contents.

Tragically another white rhino cow and her calf were killed in South Africa over the weekend for their horns, but fortunately two rhino poaching suspects have been caught thanks to an incredible amount of team work.

Kruger National Park section rangers have expressed concern at the courts taking too long to convict alleged rhino poachers arrested in the facility, despite evidence. Speaking to the Pretoria News, Karen Keet, the head ranger at the Phalaborwa gate, and Andrew Desmet, who heads the Letaba section within the Kruger National Park, said they often arrested poachers. However, they never get convicted because of laxity within the judiciary system. The two claimed the system seldom took the matter seriously.

Self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi was denied bail by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court on Friday. "The applicant was capable of interfering with state witnesses while still behind bars and there is no determination of what he could do should he be released on bail," said magistrate Linus Samunzala.

Prophet Jackson Babi has yet again been denied bail in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, because of fear he might again interfere with investigations, as he faces a bribery charge in addition to the poaching charges he was initially arraigned on. In the bribery case, Babi is accused of attempting to bribe a police officer with N$13 000.

The Namibian man intercepted alongside a party of suspected Zambian rhino poachers that he was attempting to guide into Botswana is a repeat offender wanted in Botswana for skipping the country when he was due for prosecution for rhino poaching and illegal possession of firearms, the Botswana Gazette can reveal.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has welcomed sentences imposed for rhino poaching related crimes in two separate cases that have been finalised in Mpumalanga.The trials were concluded in the Mhala regional court in February and March. In one matter three people who were arrested in August 2018 were convicted of rhino poaching related charges including possession of two sets of rhino horns, a high calibre hunting rifle, ammunition and trespassing in a national park with the intention of committing crime as well as the illegal hunting of an endangered animal.

A decision on whether or not Windhoek self proclaimed Prophet, Jackson Babi, will be granted bail will be heard on Friday at the Windhoek Magistrate's Court. Babi was arrested last year on poaching and bribery charges. On the bribery charge, Babi and one Ananias Ananias are alleged to have attempted to offer a police officer N$13 000 to make the charges against Babi in the poaching case disappear.

The amount of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales intercepted by authorities in 2020 was far less than compared with the previous five years, according to analysis for National Geographic by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The coronavirus pandemic likely dampened both the ability of wildlife traffickers to move their products internationally and of law enforcement to detect them, according to the group, a U.S.

For years environmentalists have warned that the biggest threat to the future of rhino populations is the indiscriminate killing of these animals in South Africa's Kruger National Park by organised syndicates infiltrating from neighbouring Mozambique.

Botswana's recent upsurge in rhino poaching is reaching a crisis point. More than 100 rhinos have been poached in under two years from a population of less than 400. Yet, the government remains resolute in its denial of a growing catastrophe. Former Botswanan president Ian Khama recently announced on social media that over 120 rhinos have been poached in the past 18 months.

'n Renosterhoringsmokkelaar, Robertos Ipingi, is 'n stewige boete van N$500 000 of twee jaar tronkstraf opgelê. Ipinge is verlede Vrydag in die Otjiwarongo-landdroshof gevonnis ná hy in Augustus 2019 skuldig bevind is aan die onwettige besit van en handel in een renosterhoring, asook op die oortreding van die georganiseerde misdaadwet (Poca).

The bail judgement into the case of self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries, Jackson Babi, is scheduled to be delivered next week in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Linus Samunzala will pronounce himself on whether Babi has satisfied the court that he should be granted bail pending the finalisation of his case. The court scheduled the matter to 19 March and remanded Babi in police custody. The "prophet" is scheduled to stand trial on bribery charges for allegedly offering investigating officers N$13 000 in an attempt to have him released on…

Six suspects were arrested in connection with wildlife crimes and five new cases were registered recently, while five wildlife products were seized. Two suspects were arrested for rhino poaching or trafficking. Another suspect was arrested for elephant poaching or trafficking. This is according to information provided by the intelligence and investigation unit within the ministry of environment and tourism and the protection resources division within the safety and security ministry. On 28 February, Muronga Hamutima was arrested at Rundu for being in possession of a pangolin skin…

The Kunene region saw a marked decline in cases of illegal poaching of rhinos in the last five years, with no incident reported last year. Head of operations in the region Deputy Commissioner Jaron Iita said 28 rhinos were poached between 2015 and 2017. Iita said, between 2018 and 2019, there were minimal cases of rhino poaching; however, there were no cases of rhino poaching recorded last year. The Deputy Commissioner said, last year alone, 51 suspects were arrested for attempting to poach rhinos and elephants.

The police at Otjiwarongo on Saturday arrested two male suspects after they were allegedly found in possession of a rhino horn without a permit at the Erindi game reserve. The weekend crime report of the Namibian Police Force said the men aged 33 and 60 were arrested during a police operation. The value of the rhino horn is still to be determined and the suspects were expected to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Although the fight is far from over, rhino poaching is in decline. Tough enforcement is part of the solution, but the power of grassroots conservation mustn't be overlooked The sound of Judge Siboleka's gavel reverberated through the Windhoek High Court on April 19, 2019. Four heads bowed in acceptance of egregious crimes. Sternly, Siboleka extended the sentences of Wang Hui, Pu Xuexin, Li Zhihing and Li Xiaoliang from 11 years to 15. Their charge: the illegal export of 14 rhino horns from Namibia in March 2014.

Barks Sobozi (44) was arrested at Silonga after months of joint investigations by the Wildlife Protection Services (WPS) division of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and the Namibian Defence Force. Sobozi is allegedly part of a transnational syndicate suspected of rhino poaching in the Botswana Delta.

Botswana, confronting an unprecedented rise in poaching, has refuted reports by former President Ian Khama that at least 120 rhinoceroses have been killed in the last 18 months. Instead, the government says, wildlife crimes have dropped by 70 percent since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) director Kabelo Senyatso has strongly refuted claims by former president Ian Khama that 120 rhinos have been poached in the last 18 months.

Benoni K9 officers have foiled an illegal sale of a rhino horn. Two suspects aged 38 and 39 were arrested. They were trying to sell the horn along the roadside on Lionel Street, Benoni, east of Johannesburg. Police seized the horn, valued at R80,000, as well as the Mercedes-Benz vehicle they were using.