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.
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…
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SA_2023_05_Police nab alleged rhino poaching kingpin in Limpopo_The Citizen.pdf | 428.78 KB |
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.
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SA_2023_05_Work underway to fight wildlife crime_Bizzcommunity.pdf | 345.25 KB |
"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.
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NAM_2023_05_Killing of rhinos remains illegal_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 274.48 KB |
An alleged rhino poacher, who has been on the run from authorities since 2019, was rearrested in KaBokweni.
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SA_2023_05_Wanted rhino poaching suspect arrested in KaBokweni_Lowvelder.pdf | 283.48 KB |
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.
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NAM_Vyftien renosters vanjaar gestroop_Republikein.pdf | 365.73 KB |
NAM_2023_05_Fifteen rhinos poached this year_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 362.22 KB |
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.
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NAM_2023_05_Fuenfzehn Nashoerner bisher Gewildert_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 338.01 KB |
NAM_2023_05_Fifteen rhinos poached so far_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 334.96 KB |
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.
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.
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NAM_2023_05_Rhino bull killed and dehorned by poachers near Otjituuo_Namibia News Digest.pdf | 225.66 KB |
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.
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SA_2023_05_Rhino poaching kingpin_Trial adjourned_accuseds bail condition waived_Zululand Observer.pdf | 194.54 KB |
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'.
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
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SA_2023_05_Rhino poaching at local game reserve_George Herald.pdf | 441.9 KB |
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.
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SA_2023_05_Mtubatuba rhino poaching accused plead not guilty_Zululandobserver.pdf | 192.3 KB |
Kruger National Park, the world's greatest refuge for rhinos, is losing them to poaching faster than they're being born. The park's last rhino may already be alive. It's time to declare an emergency.
Die Zahlen sprechen für sich: Bisher verzeichnete das Ministerium für Umwelt, Forstwirtschaft und Tourismus (MEFT) in diesem Jahr 63 gewilderte Nashörner, davon 41 schwarze und 22 weiße. Wiederum 15 der gewilderten Tiere wurden auf Pachtfarmen gewildert und 22 auf privaten Agrarbetrieben. Die anderen 26 wiederum im Etoscha-Nationalpark. Weiterhin gab die Behörde bekannt, dass die Zahl im Vergleich zu den Vorjahren bereits gestiegen sei. So standen 2021 44 Nashörner, im Jahr davor 42, 2019 53 zu Buche. 2017 seien es 55 gewesen.
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NAM_2022_11_Weihnachtszeit_Wilderei_Zeit_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 434.98 KB |
NAM_2022_11_Christmas time_poaching time_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 318.76 KB |
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism says 63 rhinos have been poached since January this year.
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NAM_2022_11_63 rhinos poached so far this year_The Namibian.pdf | 279.7 KB |
Zimbabwe's rhino population remains among the bright sparks on the African continent after it increased by 14 percent from a total 887 in 2017 to now stand at 1,033. The statistics were compiled by Rhino Specialist Groups of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and trade monitoring organisation TRAFFIC, ahead of the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Panama this month.
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ZIM_2022_11_Zimbabwe rhino population up while rest of Africa sees decline_Independent.pdf | 289.8 KB |
The environment and tourism ministry says even though it continues to record successes in its fight against wildlife crime, poaching of highly valued species remains a concern. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda over the weekend said 63 rhinos have been poached in the country this year alone. This includes 41 black rhinos and 22 white rhinos. This year’s poaching cases include 15 rhinos poached on custodianship farms, another 22 on private farms and 26 in the Etosha National Park.
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NAM_2022_11_Poaching remains unabated_New Era.pdf | 266.55 KB |
Muyunda said even though Namibia continues to record successes in the fight against wildlife crime, poaching of highly valued species remains a concern. In 2022 to date, Namibia recorded 63 rhinos poached cases in the country consisting of 41 black rhinos and 22 white rhinos. "This year’s poaching cases include 15 rhinos poached on custodianship farms, another 22 on private farms, and 26 in the Etosha National Park.
THE Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) has recorded 63 rhinos poached since the start of the year, of which 41 are black rhinos and 22 are white rhinos. Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said this year’s poaching cases include 15 rhinos poached on custodianship farms, another 22 on private farms, and 26 in the Etosha National Park. In previous years, 44 rhinos were recorded poached in 2021, 42 in 2020, 57 in 2019, 83 in 2018, and 55 in 2017.
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NAM_2022_11_More rhinos poached than elephants_Informante.pdf | 62.56 KB |
There is a resurgence of poaching activities targeting rhinos at Matobo National Park, which threatens to reverse gains made over the years to protect the endangered species. Matobo National Park in Matabeleland South has one of the highest rhino populations in the country. Six poaching incidents have been reported at the game reserve this year, according to Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) Matabeleland South regional manager Midwell Kapesa. Zimbabwe holds the fourth largest population of rhinos in Africa with 616 black rhinos and 417 white…
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ZIM_2022_11_Matobo records upsurge in rhino poaching cases_Southern Eye.pdf | 201.35 KB |
Namibia will step up efforts against wildlife crime in the country during this year’s festive season, an official said Saturday. Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), said Namibia has observed that in the past poachers took advantage of the festive season to undertake criminal activities of poaching rhinos, pangolins, elephants, and other species. Muyunda said even though Namibia continues to record successes in the fight against wildlife crime, poaching of high valued species remains a concern. "In 2022 to date,…
In August 2019, the rangers were doing their daily routine in Stolznek section using a helicopter when the accused were spotted. They were found in possession of a firearm, ammunition and hunting weapons and were arrested. In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Lot Mgiba handed in a ballistics report which revealed the firearm that was found in his possession was meant to poach rhinos. Though Sithlangu was sentenced to 14 years for these offences, the court ordered that the terms run concurrently, resulting in an effective 11-year jail term.
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SA_2022_11_Poacher arrested in Kruger Park sentenced to 11 years_TimesLive.pdf | 245.49 KB |
Six people were arrested for rhino poaching, and one suspect for being in possession of a pangolin skin, states the report.
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NAM_2022_11_Seven arrested for wildlife crime in one week_The Namibian.pdf | 278.67 KB |
Seven suspects were arrested last week in connection with old wildlife crime cases. This is according to weekly wildlife crime statistics issued by the protected resource division and the intelligence and investigation unit within the safety and environment ministries. On 19 November, two Namibian men, Festus Amunyela and Mekondjo Tsillinus, were arrested at Oshivelo for conspiring to poach a rhino on 16 June. In another incident, Angolan national Ndango Nicolaus was arrested on 17 November in Rundu for being in possession of a pangolin on 4 August.
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NAM_2022_11_Seven arrested for old wildlife crime cases_Namibian Sun.pdf | 301.21 KB |
Rhino poachers entering Kruger National Park are increasingly being run down by packs of unleashed hunting hounds in full cry, followed by a chopper tracking their hi-tech GPS collars. As the baying pack approaches, the poacher has no idea the dogs are trained to not attack. They won't bite him (there are legal implications), but if he tries to harm the dogs, rangers will fire from the chopper. The poachers know this and no dog has yet
been lost to a poacher’s bullet.
Retired Major General Jooste was headhunted for the position of Commanding Officer, Special Projects, at SANParks where he was responsible for developing, planning and executing an anti-poaching strategy. Tony Park is a novelist who divides his time between his home country, Australia, and the South African bush, which features prominently in his well-loved novels.
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SA_2022_11_Anti_poaching strategist wages war in order save rhinos in the Kruger National Park_IOL.pdf | 210.58 KB |
A Mozambican court has sentenced a poacher to a 30-year sentence, the second such maximum term handed down this year and evidence of a crackdown by the country's judicial and conservation authorities against the illegal wildlife trade.
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MOZ_2022_11_Second 30_year sentence for rhino poaching in Mozambique_Independent.pdf | 377.51 KB |
South African National Parks (SANParks) today welcomed the heavy sentencing of a rhino poacher by the Skukuza Regional Court, to a total of 52 years in prison for rhino poaching and related offences.
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SA_2022_11_Rhino Poacher Sentenced to 52 Years in Prison_SAPeople.pdf | 302.85 KB |
A man has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for rhino poaching by a court in Mpumalanga. This comes against the backdrop of another court in the area sentencing a man to 17 years for rhino poaching. The Skukuza Regional Court sentenced Sipho Titus Khosa on Friday to 34 years in jail.
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SA_2022_11_Rhino poacher sentenced to 34 years in jail_IOL.pdf | 172.66 KB |
The Wildlife Justice Commission said a threat assessment on the state of rhino horn trafficking in the past decade showed that much was needed to fight the trade via law enforcement, policymakers and conservation. The assessment found that over the last decade, six countries dominated the supply chain as source, transit and destination locations and that a third of rhino horns were smuggled unconcealed, suggesting a potential reliance on corruption to move shipments along the supply chain. They found that large amounts of harvested horns have been diverted from legal…
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SA_2022_11_Corruption aids rhino horn smuggling_IOL.pdf | 294.55 KB |
Pretoria - Convicted rhino poacher Silvester Sidney Zitha, 40, has been sentenced to an e
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SA_2022_11_Kruger National Park rhino poacher gets what he deserves_ 17 years in jail_IOL.pdf | 160.18 KB |
A Chinese national was on Wednesday November 16, found dead in his apartment at Sunshine Court, Valley Arcade in Nairobi's Lavington area. According to police, the matter was reported to the Muthangari police station by the deceased's friend, Hoang Thi Diut. Officers reportedly found 78 pieces of elephant ivory, two pieces of rhino horns, two pieces of ivory sculptures, a piece of animal skin, 65 pieces of lion teeth and 160 pieces of lion claws.
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KEN_2022_11_Chinese Man Found Dead in Lavington Game Trophies Recovered_Kenyans_co_ke.pdf | 260.42 KB |
Botswana said it's seen a dramatic drop in rhinoceros poaching this year after taking greater steps to protect its shrinking rhino population. The significant decline was revealed in a report presented this week at a conference on CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. After losing 126 animals between 2018 and 2021, only six rhinoceroses have been poached in Botswana in 2022.
The report says poaching incidents peaked in 2020 when the country lost 62 rhinos. The following year, at least 33 were reported killed by poachers.
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BOT_2022_11_Rhino Poaching Way Down in Botswana_VOA Zimbabwe.pdf | 48.36 KB |
Zitha was convicted on a host of poaching-related offences which included trespassing, possession of a firearm with a silencer, possession of ammunition, killing of a rhino, possession of an axe and conspiracy to commit an offence.
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SA_2022_11_Rhino poacher jailed for 17 years while his accomplice is still on the run_IOL_0.pdf | 223.68 KB |
Rhino poaching is driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asian countries. In Summary: They were arrested in September last year with a firearm and ammunition at a game farm with the aim of slaughtering rhinos to extract their horns for commercial purposes. This is the second time that a hunter of a protected species has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
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MOZ_2022_11_Mozambicans jailed for 30 years for rhino hunting_The Star.pdf | 425.34 KB |
Cape Town - More than 800 rhinos have been poached in South Africa in the last three years.
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SA_2022-11_Slaughter of rhinos on the rise_ 800 dead in three years-IOL.pdf | 193.69 KB |
Speaking during the handover event DWNP Director, Kabelo Senyatso revealed that the drone has greatly improved their capabilities in the fight against rhino poaching.
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BOT_2022_11_Fight Against Poachers Intensifies_The Voice Botswana.pdf | 333.73 KB |
'n Mynmaatskappy word toegelaat om sy aktiwiteite in die Huab-gebied uit te voer ondanks 'n swak omgewingsimpakstudie en geen konsultasies met geraakte bewaringsorganisasies nie.
A mining company is allowed to carry out its activities in the Huab area despite a poor Environmental Impact Study and no consultations with affected conservation organizations.
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NAM_2022_11_Mynbou bedryg Huab se renosters_Republikein.pdf | 358.79 KB |
NAM_2022_11_Mining threatens Huabs rhinos_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 356.21 KB |
//Huab Conservancy und Rhino Rangers verlieren Lebensgrundlage. Ein weiteres Bergbauprojekt nimmt seinen Anfang, obwohl es das CBNRM-Programm als Grundsatz für Kommunalhegegebiete gefährdet. Ein Bergbauunternehmen darf am Huab-Rivier seine Aktivitäten trotz mangelhafter Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung aufnehmen und gefährdet sogar den Nashornschutz. Das Umweltministerium versäumt indessen seine Pflicht.
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NAM_2022_11_Bergbau bedraengt jetzt Rhinos_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 534.47 KB |
NAM_2022_11_Mining is now harassing rhinos_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 547.49 KB |
A South African immigrant Brent Johan Lunt was yesterday acquitted on charges involving possession of
four rhino horns worth US$240 000 without a licence after the High Court found merit in his application for
review of the trial court proceedings that put him on his defence even though the horns had not been proved
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SA_SA man cleared of rhino horn possession charges_The Herald.pdf | 90.94 KB |
Extinction is probably a rarely used term in your vocabulary - perhaps only in primary school when referring to the dinosaurs - and certainly never applied to the modern day. But subtly, slowly our rare fauna are being erased and some have even already disappeared: although not as drastic as a meteor, we are witnessing extinction. The act of poaching is defined as the illegal capturing or killing of wild animals and is a prominent practice in South Africa, particularly due to the wildlife that can be found there.
The sentencing of six rhino poachers convicted in the Makhanda High Court just over a month ago will be postponed until four of them who escaped from prison are traced. Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Simba Masinge , Nhamo Muyambo, and Abraham Moyane and Misheck Chauke were convicted for conspiracy to poach rhinos in the Makhanda High Court on 30 September 2022. They were due to be sentenced on Friday 4 November. Five of them escaped from the Waainek correctional facility in Makhanda in the early hours of 18 October, together with two other prisoners.
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SA_2022_11_Poachers sentencing to be postponed_Talk of the Town.pdf | 253.01 KB |
"Our rangers got into conservation and they are trained in conservation. They are not trained to be militant and shoot people. So the psycho-social impacts of poachers and the fight against wildlife crime and the militarisation of our parks is huge." "We are seeing children who now have absent parents. Rangers are in the field for time. We’re seeing the impact of the post traumatic stress disorder from rangers but affecting children because the children of these parents are also being affected."
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SA_2022_11_Many rangers suffer psychological impact of rhino poaching says SanParks_Jacaranda FM.pdf | 225.17 KB |
The multi-billion-dollar industry of illegally trafficking wildlife was front and center in federal court on Tuesday morning. The Homeland Security investigation led to two foreign nationals being arrested in Edmonds in November of 2021. On Tuesday, Herdade Lokua learned he would spend the next 20 months in prison, and Jospin Mujangi was sentenced to 14 months. The investigation led to the seizure of $3.5 million worth of elephant ivory, white rhinoceros horn, and pangolin scales.