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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 24 of 24
Thursday, 29 February 2024
2024. Poaching increases in South Africa.
Rhino poaching in South Africa rose by 10% in 2023 versus the previous year. While the numbers came as no surprise, it is a stark reminder that there is still a lot of work to do to overcome the rhino poaching crisis!
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
2024. Nashorn-Wilderei in Südafrika merklich angestiegen.
In Südafrika hat die Wilderei von Nashörnern merklich zugenommen. Im vergangenen Jahr seien 499 Breitmaul- und Spitzmaulnashörner illegal getötet worden, teilte das südafrikanische Umweltministerium am Dienstag mit. Dies sei ein Anstieg um 11 Prozent im Vergleich zu 2022, sagte Umweltministerin Barbara Creecy. Besonders stark betroffen sei die südöstliche Provinz KwaZulu-Natal, in der 325 Fälle registriert wurden, so die Ministerin. Hotspot sei der Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park der Provinz, wo 307 illegal getötete Nashörner entdeckt wurden.
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
2024. Rhino poaching in South Africa increases in 2023.
South Africa recorded 499 rhinos poached in 2023, 51 more than the previous year, despite efforts to protect the animals, the government said on Tuesday. South Africa is home to nearly half of the critically-endangered black rhino population in Africa and to the world's largest population of near-threatened white rhinos. Rhinos are poached for their horns, which are used in east Asian countries for making traditional medicines and jewellery.
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
2024. KwaZulu-Natal carried the brunt of rhino poaching in 2023, says Creecy.
During 2023, 499 rhinos were poached across South Africa, 406 were killed on state properties and 93 on privately owned parks/reserves/farms. This was an increase (of 51) in comparison to 448 rhinos poached in 2022.
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
2024. South Africa sees marked rise in rhino poaching.
The South African Environment Ministry said on Tuesday that the number of rhinos poached in the country had risen by more than 10% in 2023 compared with the previous year. International trade of rhino horn is prohibited but rhino horn continues to be smuggled to Asia, where it is highly valued, especially in Vietnam and China. How the figures broke down - The ministry said 499 black and white rhinoceroses were killed in 2023, mostly in state-run parks, compared with 448 the previous year.
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
2024. Rhino poaching on the rise.
A sobering statistic out of South Africa today as they report an increase in rhino poaching. Almost 500 rhinos were killed for their horn in 2023, more than 60% of those in just one state park. While Kruger National Park has successfully deployed layers of security measures to adapt to the poaching crisis, other Parks haven’t taken the necessary steps to date to prevent these devastating losses.
Monday, 26 February 2024
Morris C 2024. Opportunity lost or covered - Nairobi court acquits Chinese national of wildlife trafficking.

It could have been the proverbial pot of gold. Instead, it became at best, an opportunity lost in the fight against transnational organized wildlife crime. On February 2, a Nairobi area court acquitted Hoang Thi Diu, a female of apparent Vietnamese/Chinese dual citizenship, of charges relating to the dealing and possession of 145 kilograms of ivory, rhino horn, lion's teeth, and claws. Objectively, and considering the evidence before the court, the verdict was not incorrect.

Friday, 29 September 2023
McCann G 2023. Vietnamese syndicates wiping out African megafauna.

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.

Thursday, 28 September 2023
Rondganger L 2023. R155 billion a year! The cost of organised crime as South Africa becomes a haven for mafia-style networks.

R155 billion!

Thursday, 28 September 2023
Dube S 2023. Mozambican national sentenced to 10 years for killing a rhino in Kruger National Park.

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.

Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Du Plessis Y 2023. Perde opgesaal vir renosterbewaring.

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.

Monday, 25 September 2023
2023. Namibia steps up anti-poaching efforts.

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.

Monday, 25 September 2023
Smit E 2023. Horses roped into rhino protection fight.

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.

Monday, 25 September 2023
2023. Anti-poaching drive beefed up with introduction of rhino management plans and horse patrols.

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.

Monday, 25 September 2023
Reiter C 2023. Welt-Nashorn-Tag begangen.

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.

Sunday, 24 September 2023
Lazarus S 2023. Environment Ministry ups fights against rhino poaching.

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…

Friday, 22 September 2023
Moodley P 2023. 231 rhinos lost to poaching in SA this year, ongoing concerns on World Rhino Day.

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

Friday, 22 September 2023
Moodley P 2023. Researcher highlights continuous rhino onslaught in South Africa.

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

Wednesday, 20 September 2023
2023. Rhino poaching remains a challenge in SA and Africa.

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…

Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Dance A 2023. Animal CSI: Forensics comes for the wildlife trade.

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.

Monday, 18 September 2023
Whitton J 2023. Rhino Poaching: Will it ever end?.

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.

Tuesday, 12 September 2023
2023. Illegal wildlife trade fuels poaching  - Segokgo.

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…

Thursday, 7 September 2023
Schultz C 2023. SANParks make strides against rhino poaching.

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.

Monday, 4 September 2023
Maela T 2023. SANParks records a 78% decrease in Rhino poaching.

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.

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