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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.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 29 of 29
Monday, 29 May 2023
Lebake T 2023. Police nab alleged rhino poaching kingpin in Limpopo.

The suspect is allegedly linked to a series of cases including murder, racketeering and rhino poaching committed in Mpumalanga. An alleged kingpin of a rhino poaching syndicate is due to appear in the Hoedspruit Periodical Court in Limpopo on Monday after he was arrested at the weekend. The 59-year-old man, who is alleged to be a kingpin of a rhino poaching syndicate that operates between Mpumalanga and Limpopo, was arrested on Saturday in the Mopani District of Limpopo during a joint intelligence operation conducted by the Provincial Stock Theft Unit, Hoedspruit police…

Friday, 19 May 2023
2023. Work underway to fight wildlife crime.

Government is working around the clock to fight wildlife crime and corruption, especially in the Kruger National Park, says Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy.

Thursday, 11 May 2023
2023. Killing of rhinos remains illegal.

"There are conservation policies in the Ministry that deal with those illegal actions of poaching. Rhinos are protected by the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act Nine (9) of 2008, which still contains penalties widely viewed as being woefully inadequate in light of the value of the illegal trade in animal products such as elephant tusks, rhino horn and pangolin scales", Muyunda stressed.

Tuesday, 9 May 2023
2023. Wanted rhino poaching suspect arrested in KaBokweni.

An alleged rhino poacher, who has been on the run from authorities since 2019, was rearrested in KaBokweni.

Tuesday, 9 May 2023
Smit E, Bause T 2023. Vyftien renosters vanjaar gestroop.

Altesaam 15 renosters is vanjaar gestroop, teenoor 87 in 2022 en 45 in 2021. Die laaste renoster is tussen 1 en 28 April op 'n private plaas in die Grootfontein-omgewing gestroop. Die karkas is eers verlede week ontdek en die ondersoek dui daarop dat die dier twee keer met 'n jaggeweer geskiet is.

Monday, 8 May 2023
Reiter C 2023. Fünfzehn Nashörner bisher gewildert.

In diesem Jahr wurden bisher fünfzehn Nashörner gewildert, verglichen mit 77 im Jahr 2022 und 45 im Jahr 2021. Beim jüngsten Vorfall wurde ein Spitzmaulnashorn zwischen dem 1. und 28. April auf einer privaten Farm bei Grootfontein gewildert. Der Nashornkadaver wurde offenbar erst in der vergangenen Woche entdeckt. Untersuchungen deuten darauf hin, dass das Tier zweimal mit einem Jagdgewehr geschossen wurde. Der Sprecher des Umweltministeriums, Romeo Muyunda, bestätigte den Vorfall und erklärte, dass die Ermittlungen noch andauern und es noch keine Verhaftungen gegeben habe.

Sunday, 7 May 2023
2023. Hunt for suspected rhino poacher who fled on foot after abandoning a package near George.

Cape Town - The Oudtshoorn stock theft and endangered species unit is investigating a case of illegal hunting of endangered species after a rhino horn was seized by police on the N2 near George on Wednesday. Following a high-speed pursuit with police, a car reportedly stopped just outside of George and dumped a package containing a rhino horn.

Friday, 5 May 2023
2023. Rhino bull killed and dehorned by poachers near Otjituuo.

The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Communication. The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.

Thursday, 4 May 2023
Zulu G 2023. Rhino poaching 'kingpin': Trial adjourned, accused's bail condition waived.

The rhino poaching trial in which Wiseman Mageba and Dumisani Gwala are co-accused was today (Thursday) adjourned to July owing to the State prosecutor’s unavailability because of a family tragedy.

Thursday, 4 May 2023
Zulu G 2023. Rhino poaching 'kingpin' trial: Magistrate cautions witness about speculation.

Day three of the rhino poaching trial involving alleged 'kingpin' Dumisani Gwala and his co-accused Wiseman Mageba is under way at Mtubatuba Regional Court, following cross-examination of the State witness yesterday (Wednesday). Magistrate Anand Maharaj, presiding over the case, on Wednesday cautioned State witness - former SAPS investigating officer of the case Jean Pierre van zyl Roux - about speculating about allegations that Gwala had the 'police in his pocket'.

Thursday, 4 May 2023
Kolberg K 2023. Rhino poached at local game reserve.

George Herald's sister publication, Mossel Bay Advertiser, confirmed that it is the horn of one of the white rhinos at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. The reserve is situated just outside Little Brak River. According to a source close to George Herald, the suspects were stopped at a roadblock between George and Wilderness where the rhino horn was found in their possession. The horn was confiscated but the suspects managed to flee from police. By the time of going to print on Wednesday morning, the suspects were still at large and

Tuesday, 2 May 2023
Zulu G 2023. Mtubatuba rhino poaching accused plead not guilty.

Wiseman Mageba and his co-accused Dumisani Gwala have pleaded not guilty to rhino
poaching allegations in a case which resumed at Mtubatuba Regional Court today
(Tuesday). The pair face a combined 12 charges relating to the alleged illegal purchase and possession
of rhino horn, resisting arrest, and attempted murder.

Tuesday, 25 May 2021
Comins L 2021. Rhino Poaching Files: Poacher gets 25 years in jail.

The Skukuza Regional Court has handed down a stiff sentence to a 34- year-old man from Mozambique who was recently convicted of several poaching related crimes including the illegal hunting and killing of rhino.

Monday, 24 May 2021
Steffen F 2021. Rhino cows poached at Ghaub.

A game farm in the Otavi area is offering a reward of N$50 000 for information that would lead to the arrest of the poachers who killed two nursing white rhino cows last weekend. Both rhinos had young calves. One calf was found, but another remains missing. Only one of the carcasses was dehorned. The other rhino escaped from the criminals, but died of her wounds in the bush.

Saturday, 22 May 2021
Nemakonde V 2021. SANParks takes legal action over 'sensationalised' reports of dead rhino.

While it was initially thought that the Rhino may have been shot, the post mortem team established that the rhino died of natural causes (fighting).

Saturday, 22 May 2021
Terblanché N 2021. Big reward offered for the arrest of poachers.

The brutal slaughter of two rhinos on Farm Ghaub in the area of Tsumeb in the past week not only left a huge void in the hearts and lives of their minders but also sabotaged job opportunities for people in the tourism industry of Namibia. The owners of Farm Ghaub decided to offer a reward of N$50 000 for information that would lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the people responsible for the slaughter of Zanna and another rhino cow.

Friday, 21 May 2021
2021. SANParks criticised after tourists find employee, man harvesting black rhino horn.

A gruesome discovery by a group of tourists on a night-drive in Kruger National Park earlier this month has raised questions about how a rhino died. The tourists spotted a man emerging from bushes holding a horn dripping with blood, chopped from a critically-endangered Black rhino carcass, just 15m away. He and another man, dressed in what appeared to be a uniform, have subsequently been confirmed by SANParks to be employed by the park.

Friday, 21 May 2021
Steffen F 2021. Renosters gestroop, kalfie soek.

'n Renosterkalfie is steeds soek nadat haar ma, wat met die hand grootgemaak is, en nóg ‘n witrenoster die afgelope naweek op ‘n gasteplaas gestroop is. ‘n Hartseer mnr. Joachim Rust van Ghaub Nature Reserve and Farm het gister vertel hoe hulle die tweejarige Zanna in 2014 as 'n kalfie gered en met ‘n melkbottel moes grootmaak. Zanna se ma het ná swaar reën in diep modder op ‘n plaas naby Waterberg vasgeval en is van uitputting dood. Zanna se karkas is Sondag in die veld gevind. Sy is geskiet en onthoring. Haar kalfie van 18 maande kon nie opgespoor word nie.

Friday, 21 May 2021
Steffen F 2021. Nashörner auf Ghaub gewildert.

Ein Gastbetrieb im Otavi-Dreieck beklagt den Verlust von zwei Breitmaulnashörnern, die am vergangenen Wochenende Wilderern zum Opfer fielen. In beiden Fällen waren es Kühe, die junge Kälber mit sich führten - eines wurde gefunden, doch ein weiteres bleibt verschollen. Nur eines der Tiere wurde enthornt. Das andere entkam zwar den Verbrechern, verendete dann aber qualvoll im Busch in Folge einer Bauchverletzung.

Friday, 21 May 2021
2021. Goodbye, Zanna.

Trauma and feelings of utter loss were laid bare by the owner of a white rhino cow that was brutally slaughtered by poachers. Joachim Rust of Farm Ghaub gives a heart-rendering eyewitness account of what he had to go through when he discovered the dead rhino on his property.

Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Man detained for wildlife crimes dies.

Paulus Pendapala (48), who has been arrested in connection with the possession of a rhino horn with a pastor and a police officer, has died. His death on Saturday came two weeks after he was denied bail in the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court on the basis that he was facing charges of dealing in wildlife products. According to acting Oshikoto regional commander commissioner Petrus Shigwedha, Paulus complained that he was not feeling well at about 11h00 on Saturday.

Tuesday, 18 May 2021
2021. SANParks applauds the sentences imposed on four rhino poachers.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has welcomed the finalization of two long running rhino poaching trials by the Skukuza Regional Court. One rhino poacher was sentenced on 14 May whilst three, including a former SANParks employee, were sentenced on 17 May respectively. Nito Mathebula was arrested in Tshokwane Section in January 2019 while hunting in the Park illegally. Two of his accomplices managed to evade arrest. He was found guilty of trespassing in a National Park, breaking the Immigration Act and the killing of a rhino.

Tuesday, 18 May 2021
2021. Rhino poaching cases decline in comparison to last year.

Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in poaching cases with only two rhinos poached so far this year compared to 13 poaching cases recorded at the same period last year, the Ministryof Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said this week.

Monday, 17 May 2021
2021. Namibia records drop in poaching cases.

Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in poaching cases with only two rhinos poached so far this year compared to 13 poaching cases recorded at the same period last year, Environment Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said on Monday.

Sunday, 16 May 2021
Nkala O 2021. Southern Africa: Botswana rhino poaching worsens as government dithers.

Kasane - Rhino poaching in Botswana is getting worse, and the government is not helping matters in any way due to its split attitude on the crisis. On the one hand, the government of President Mokgweetsi Masisi - in power since 2018 - acknowledges the seriousness of the crisis but, when it suits it, the administration ambivalently denies any calamity and neglects taking decisive action.

Saturday, 15 May 2021
Carlisle A 2021. Six Zimbabweans face multiple charges linked to rhino poaching.

The rhino poaching trial of six Zimbabweans, four of whom are allegedly in South Africa illegally, will proceed in the high court sitting in Makhanda on Thursday. Francis Chitiyo, 31, Trymore Chauke, 26, Micheck Chauke, 23, Simba Masinge, 23, Nhamo Muyambo, 28 and Abraham Moyane, 23, - all of whom live in East London - face some 38 charges related to the poaching of about eight rhino in the Eastern Cape between 2017 and 2018. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Monday, 3 May 2021
Menges W 2021. State gets luxury car in rhino case.

A Windhoek resident who admitted he possessed rhino horns in the city nearly five years ago suffered an expensive loss at the end of his trial in the Windhoek Regional Court on Friday, with a luxury vehicle which the police had seized from him declared forfeited to the state.

Monday, 3 May 2021
Ndeyanale E 2021. Another pastor in court over wildlife crime.

A pastor and a member of the Namibian Police, who were allegedly found in possession of a rhino horn, were last week granted bail in the amount of N$5 000 each when they appeared in the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court. Alfons Tjikuru of the Enlightened Christian Gathering at Otjiwarongo, which is led by the controversial 'prophet' Shepherd Bushiri, and officer Michael Muronga, as well as Herman Paulus were arrested on 13 March this year after they were allegedly found in possession of rhino horn.

Monday, 3 May 2021
2021. Rhino poachers are back after South Africa eases lockdown restrictions.

The strict limits on travel, including international travel, imposed in March last year had the happy side effect of keeping poachers at bay. In 2020, 394 rhinos were poached, 30% fewer than the year before and the lowest yearly tally since 2011. But then South Africa began easing international travel restrictions in November. "Since November, December last year and into 2021, this landscape and particularly Kruger National Park has been experiencing serious numbers of rhino poaching incidents," said Jo Shaw, the Africa Rhino Lead for WWF International Network.

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