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For the second time in a week, Angolan authorities arrested two Vietnamese nationals on suspicion of illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking, preventing them from leaving the country with over 46 kilograms of elephant ivory, teeth and rhinoceros horns, reports Novo Jornal. The two individuals raised suspicions during check-in, leading authorities to track their movements through Luanda 4 de Fevereiro International Airport using CCTV surveillance.

The General Tax Administration (AGT) seized more than 500 pieces of rhinoceros horns and elephant teeth at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in Luanda, camouflaged inside three suitcases that were bound for Vietnam.

At a smugglers' "den" near the Lebombo post between South Africa and Mozambique, a former rhino horn smuggler described how border officials receive bribes to ensure safe passage for illicit goods. "If you know the right police manning the border crossing, no problems are encountered. Money talks," he said. Atanasio* said he currently works as a mechanic in the border area and manages a drug-smuggling operation. He has multiple identities and has gone undetected by law enforcement agencies.

Dr Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, welcomes the sentencing of Silas Mathebula, a 38-year-old Mozambican national, to 30 years in prison by the Skukuza Regional Court for his role in the illegal killing of three rhinos and related offences in the Kruger National Park in 2019. The Minister views this significant sentence as a clear indication that poaching and wildlife crime will not be tolerated in South Africa, and that those who threaten the nation’s natural heritage will face the full might of the law.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia on Thursday expressed deep concern over the resurgence of rhino poaching in the southern African country. The concern followed the killing of a three-year-old white rhino by poachers in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park on March 11, who fled with its horns. This incident came after two rhinos were killed last year at a ranch in the southern district of Kazungula. WWF Zambia Country Director Nalucha Nganga-Ziba described the recent rhino killing as a major setback in the country's ongoing efforts to restore its rhino population.

The Ministry of Tourism has offered an undisclosed reward to anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of poachers who killed a White Rhino in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Livingstone, on Tuesday. In a statement, Ministry of Tourism Principal Public Relations Officer Nelly Banda, through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), revealed that the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday between 02:00 and 03:00 hours.

The Skukuza Regional Court sentenced Silas Mathebula (38), a Mozambican national, to 30 years behind bars on March 10 for poaching-related offences committed in 2019. According to a provincial National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, Mathebula was convicted on multiple charges, including trespassing, conspiracy to commit a crime, killing three rhinos, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and possession of a hunting rifle and ammunition.

South Africa continues to see a downward trend in rhino poaching, with the 2024 statistics showing that 499 rhinos were poached in 2023, compared to 420 last year: a decrease of 79. "As we intensify the fight against wildlife poaching, it is encouraging to see that the work of the rangers, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and other key role players is steadily gaining momentum," the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Thursday.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has opposed a proposed mining project targeting the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone in Hwange National Park. ZimParks has called on the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to reject such applications. The Authority's spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo said allowing mining in the ecologically sensitive area will pose a threat to the endangered black rhino population, disrupt wildlife habitats and undermine Zimbabwe's reputation as a leader in sustainable conservation.

South Africa continues to see a downward trend in rhino poaching, with the 2024 statistics showing that 499 rhinos were poached in 2023, compared to 420 last year - a decrease of 79. "As we intensify the fight against wildlife poaching, it is encouraging to see that the work of the rangers, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and other key role players is steadily gaining momentum," the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Thursday.

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.

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.

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.