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.
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'n Beloning wat sal lei tot die inhegtenisneming van 'n renosterstroperysindikaat wat nou al vier renosters op 'n plaas naby Maltahöhe in die Hardapstreek gestroop het, het nou gestyg tot N$1 miljoen nadat nóg drie karkasse gister ontdek is. 'n Beloning van N$200 000 is aanvanklik aangebied vir die inhegtenisneming wat sal lei tot die skuldigbevinding van die stropers wat onlangs 'n witrenosterkoei gestroop het en haar kalf, Elsa, wees gelaat is.
Kenya Wildlife Service has started the process of relocating 21 critically endangered Rhinos to a new sanctuary on Saturday. The move is meant to help support the species’ long-term survival, says Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano. "By moving rhinos from Ol Pejeta, Lewa, and Nakuru, all sanctuaries currently operating at over 100% of their carrying capacity, we are reducing deadly territorial fights that account for over 30% of rhino mortalities." The newly prepared Segera Conservancy is Kenya’s 18th black rhino sanctuary.
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KEN_2025_05_Kenya relocates endangered black rhinos in conservation bid_SABC News.pdf | 535.04 KB |
Namibia Wildlife Protection (NWP), a wholly-owned Namibian company providing anti-poaching security solutions to private individuals and businesses, depends on the reliability and dependability of their JAC T9 Super Lux double cab. Working in conjunction with NWP's thermal drone flights and regular foot patrols, the company utilises the JAC T9 to cover large tracts of private Namibian territory to detect any illegal movements or activities related to poaching."We see ourselves as one of the industry leaders in protection innovation.
In 2019, Malawi dismantled the Chinese-led Lin-Zhang wildlife trafficking syndicate, a major win in its fight against the illegal wildlife trade, thanks in part to funding from the U.S. government. The Trump administration’s recent slashing of international development funds, however, threatens these gains, leaving frontline enforcers and conservation programs without critical support. NGOs across Africa and Southeast Asia, running initiatives from sniffer rat programs to antipoaching patrols, tell Mongabay they're struggling to fill the funding gap.
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INT_2025_05_Wildlife crime crackdown in jeopardy worldwide after US funding cuts_Mongabay.pdf | 1.84 MB |
Former tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta expressed his disappointment in the ministry's actions and communication regarding the latest rhino poaching in the Hardap Region. A white rhino cow was poached this weekend on a farm near Maltahohe, leaving behind a calf named Elsa orphaned. The calf was only found two days after the incident. A reward of N$160 00 has been issued for any information.
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NAM_2025_05_NS160 000 award for rhino poaching_Tourismus.pdf | 43.46 KB |
Fifteen rhinos and one elephant have been poached this year. This was confirmed by the tourism ministry today. The ministry said that as part of their bi-annual report on wildlife crime and law enforcement, they will issue a detailed statement on the matter in June, including updates on poached animals, suspects arrested, items confiscated, and general crime prevention strategies put in place.
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NAM_2025_05_15 rhinos poached this year_Tourismus.pdf | 35.83 KB |
Authorities are offering a reward of N$160,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for a brutal poaching incident in the Hardap Region. Between 9 and 11 May 2025, a white rhinoceros cow was found shot and dehorned on a farm near Maltahöhe. Her orphaned calf, named Elsa, was discovered two days later and has since been rescued. The Namibian Police's Blue Rhino Task Team, alongside Mike Bolhuis from Specialised Security Services in South Africa, is leading the investigation.
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NAM_2025_05_NS160 000 reward offered after rhino poaching near Maltahohe_Nova.pdf | 284.42 KB |
A 22-year-old black rhino was fatally shot by poachers at Imire Conservancy in Marondera, Zimbabwe, sparking outrage and grief among wildlife conservationists, who are vowing to intensify efforts to protect endangered species. The rhino named Gomo was brutally killed for its horn. Speaking following the devastating news, Reilly Travers, a conservationist at Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation expressed pain and devastation from Gomo's death. "Imire's soul has just been ripped from within. We have just had one of our beloved Rhino shot today.
The People's Court of Hanoi opened a first-instance trial and sentenced Cao Xuan Manh, a major transnational tiger trafficker from Nghe An, to 7 years in prison under the second punishment bracket of Article 244 of the Penal Code 2015 (amended in 2017). Manh's two accomplices, Nguyen Van Ba and Nguyen Van Cung, were sentenced to 5 and 4 years in prison, respectively. On January 12, 2024, Manh and two accomplices were caught by the Hanoi Economic Police Department while attempting to illegally trade a 4.1 kg rhino horn.
The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Wildlife Conservation Network have partnered to launch a new wildlife leadership program focusing entirely on rhino conservation practitioners, which includes Namibia. The IRF said that the program will start this month and will include rhino professionals in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. It said that the transformative program Rising Wildlife Leaders: Careers, will equip local conservationists with the knowledge of where rhinos live and with the skills, mentorship and career support they need to make a lasting impact.
Conservation is under serious threat from mining activities in protected areas countrywide, putting wild animals at risk of extinction, a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) official has said. Giving oral evidence to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Parliamentary Portfolio Committee this Monday, ZimParks Corporate Secretary Nyasha Mutyambizi said the Mines ministry continued to accept applications for mining purposes in the restricted areas meant for conservation and tourism.
In the Eastern Cape, Justin Terblanche is known for his love of rhinos. The anti-poacher shares that he's known as the 'Rhino Whisperer' in the area and that his life's mission lies in protecting the gentle giants who once roamed the Earth with far more freedom and in far greater numbers. "Losing [rhinos] would leave an irreplaceable void in the natural world," says Justin. "If we don’t act now, future generations may never see a rhino roaming wild." Working at Lombardini Game Farm, Justin has seen first-hand the impact of poaching. The land was once home to 19 rhinos.
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SA_2025_05_Anti_poacher on a mission to ramp up rhino protection_Good Things Guy.pdf | 116.56 KB |
SA has lost 103 rhino to poachers in the first three months of the year, environment minister Dion George disclosed on Monday. This equates to an average of 34.33 rhinos per month, aligned with the average monthly poaching rate of 35 rhinos over the 12 months before (420 rhinos annually). "This underscores the sustained pressure on our rhino populations and the urgent need for intensified efforts to combat the illegal activity," George said. SANParks recorded the highest number of losses with 65 rhinos poached.
In the first three months of 2025, five provinces in South Africa lost 103 rhinos due to poaching, averaging at 34.33 rhinos per month. "The loss of 103 rhinos to poaching in the first three months of 2025 is a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife. Yet, the absence of poaching in four provinces shows that our targeted interventions are yielding results, and we must build on this progress," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Monday.
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SA_2025_05_South Africa_Sustained pressure on SA rhino populations_All Africa.pdf | 52 KB |
Cape Town, South Africa - Poachers in South Africa killed more than 100 rhinos in the first three months of this year, most of them inside national parks, highlighting an ongoing battle to protect one of the best-known endangered species. South African Environment Minister Dion George announced the figures Monday and said that of the 103 rhinos killed between Jan. 1 and March 31, 65 were poached in national parks. The average of more than one rhino killed a day is in line with last year's count and "a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife," George said.
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SA_2025_05_Poachers have killed over 100 rhinos in South Africa this year_ABC News.pdf | 178.71 KB |
Rhino poaching decreases in 2024, But we still don't have the full picture. South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) have released updated full year rhino poaching statistics for 2024, and while it is good to see an overall decline of roughly 15%, an increase in poaching in the latter part of the year means we are currently in the midst of the greatest poaching spike since 2019. 420 rhinos were killed by poachers across South Africa in 2024, 79 less than were lost in 2023.
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SA_2025_05_Rhino Poaching in 2024_2025_Helping Rhinos.pdf | 559.75 KB |
Rhinos are being killed for their horns in a poaching crisis that has stretched on for nearly two decades. In 2006, 60 rhinos were poached in Africa. Nine years later, the official figure leapt to a staggering 1,349 rhinos killed in 2015. More than 10,000 rhinos have been killed since the poaching crisis began. Today, rhino populations in South Africa and Namibia are bearing the brunt of rhino poaching.
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SA_2025_04_Rhinos_Environmental Investigation Agencies.pdf | 177.41 KB |
The trial is set to begin this September, close to three years after the 50 pieces of horns were seized not far from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The men sprung a surprise in court today when they opted for a trial. It was a reversal of the guilty plea they had recorded at an earlier court appearance last month. Media and conservation groups gathered at court on Wednesday (24 April) had expected a penalty to be given to the two men.
The Special Wildlife Office of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted a 40-foot container of illegal wildlife products in Vietnam. Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the crime, barely six weeks after a similar seizure by Vietnam authorities. The Nigeria Customs Service, in a statement made available to newsmen, and signed by Asst. Comptroller Abimbola Isafiade, said the operation was conducted by the combined efforts of the officers of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C, in a joint enforcement operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission, WJC…
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NIG_2024_05_Customs intercepts 40_ft container of illegal wildlife products_Daily Post.pdf | 439.1 KB |
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SA_2024_05_State of poaching in the Kruger National Park_Lifestyle.pdf | 1.43 MB |
Trotz Bemühungen um Eindämmung des Handels mit bedrohten Tierarten wie Elefanten geht der illegale Handel mit Wildtieren weltweit unvermindert weiter. Dies geht aus dem einem Bericht des Büros der Vereinten Nationen für Drogen- und Verbrechensbekämpfung (UNODC) hervor, der eine Bestandsaufnahme der weltweiten Anti-Wilderei- Maßnahmen enthält.
Despite progress to curtail the trafficking of iconic species such as elephants, illegal wildlife trafficking continues unabated on a global scale. This is according to the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which takes stock of efforts to counter poaching worldwide. The report highlights that wildlife trafficking has not seen a significant enough decrease over the past two decades, prompting a call for enhanced enforcement of existing laws, including measures to combat corruption.
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NAM_2024_05_Illegal wildlife trade remains immense_UN_Namibian Sun.pdf | 66.33 KB |
The Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office, over the weekend, announced the arrest of a Shipper and supplier responsible for the illegal exportation of a 40ft container of illegal Wildlife to Vietnam. It was gathered that the illegal wildlife products were intercepted and reported in Vietnam in April 2024 while the arrest of the suspects was made by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) and the enforcement officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, Imo state.
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NIG_2024_05_Customs arrests shipper_supplier over illegal export of wildlife_Leadership.pdf | 492.35 KB |
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NAM_2024_05_Other cases relating to poaching to be joined in Brockerhoff case_Informante.pdf | 112.8 KB |
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NAM_2024_05_Five suspects arrested for rhino poaching in Gobabis_Informante.pdf | 253.66 KB |
Die beskuldigdes wat die afgelope naweek betrokke was by die stropery van ‘n witrenosterbul op 'n plaas in die Gobabis-distrik, bly in aanhouding. Volgens die hoofwoordvoerder van die Namibiese polisie, adjunk-kommissaris Kauna Shikwambi, het die beskuldigdes reeds in die landdroshowe van Gobabis en Katutura in Windhoek verskyn. Die name van die beskuldigdes soos verskaf deur Shikwambi is Micheal Shomeya Koshondatile (39), Barnabas Shitaleni Muzanime (35), die 31-jarige Petrus Petrus Nghifindaka, Victory Henghono (ook 31) en die 34-jarige Imanuel Stafanus Nangwasha.
The suspects involved in the poaching of a white rhinoceros bull on a farm in the Gobabis district remain in custody. According to the spokesperson of the Namibian police, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the suspects have already appeared in the magistrate's courts of Gobabis and Katutura in Windhoek over the past weekend. The names of the suspects as provided by Shikwambi are Micheal Shomeya Koshondatile (39), Barnabas Shitaleni Muzanime (35), 31-year-old Petrus Petrus Nghifindaka, Victory Henghono (also 31), and 34-year-old Imanuel Stafanus Nangwasha.
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2024_05_No bail for rhino poachers from Gobabis bull_Namibian Sun.pdf | 296.26 KB |
Namibia's precious wildlife is under threat from criminals, as illegal wildlife trade has become the world's fourth-largest form of transnational crime. This was said by Ana Beatriz Martins, the European Union's ambassador to Namibia, at a press debriefing for 'Operation Saving Wildlife through Multilateral Cooperation in Africa' (Sama) in Windhoek yesterday. She said dozens of wildlife species have been pushed ever closer to extinction by habitat loss and illegal trade.
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NAM_2024_05_Namibian precious wildlife is under threat from criminals_The Namibian.pdf | 550.94 KB |
'n Karkas van 'n groot witrenosterbul is Sondagoggend op 'n plaas in die Gobabis-distrik ontdek wat
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NAM_2024_04_Neue Nashorn_Initiative_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 211.91 KB |
NAM_2024_04_New rhino initiative_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 182.44 KB |
Two suspected poachers were shot to death in an exchange of fire with members of the anti-poaching unit in the Etosha National Park on Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Scorpionbelt, Western Zone, when a patrol of the anti-poaching unit observed shoeprints that had entered the park through the park's fence. According to the police, the suspects' tracks were pursued for a distance of 60 km up to a water point where Rhinos mostly feed on small shrubs.
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NAM_2024_05_Suspected poachers killed in exchange of fire with cops in Etosha_Informante.pdf | 63.5 KB |