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The trial of three Chinese men, who were arrested with 14 rhino horns at Hosea Kutako International Airport last year, will start in June. The case has been postponed to June 25 and 26 for plea and trial in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing and Pu Xuexin were caught with 14 rhino horns valued at N$2.3 million, as well as a leopard skin valued at N$50 000, in their luggage on March 23 last year. The three Chinese nationals have maintained that they did not know what was in their suitcases.

Sensational disclosures are the stuff of journalism. Good journalism however, requires that these disclosures are accurate and the interpretation of the facts is rational and reasonable. A recent front page lead "Wildlife staff probed in Kunene rhino poaching" requires a response.

The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), which has been monitoring Namibia's desert-adapted rhinos since 1983, confirmed an internal investigation and announced that Otjiwarongo veterinarian Dr Axel Hartman has assumed the position of chief operating officer at the NGO as of this month.

Another case of rhino poaching has been discovered in the Kunene Region. An old carcass of a rhino was found on Sunday in the area of Etendeka. The discovery came barely a week after the skull of a rhino that had been poached was found in the same area.

The escalation of rhino and elephant poaching in Namibia will have a devastating impact on the country's tourism industry if it continues unabated. Experts in the tourism industry told Namibian Sun that the impact Namibia will experience in the short and long term will include a drop in tourist arrivals, job losses in the sector and revenue loss. The country's reputation will be harmed and it may even hold political risk for government if the recent surge of poaching is not addressed.

Another case of rhino poaching has been discovered in the Kunene Region and is being investigated by the police. A spokesperson for the police, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, yesterday confirmed that a rhino carcass was discovered on July 17 at Etendeka in the Sesfontein area. Members of the Save the Rhino Trust discovered the carcass during a routine patrol at Otjijapa village. Upon closer inspection of the skull it was found that the rhino had been dehorned.

The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has embarked on a community advocacy campaign focusing specifically on conservancies in the Palmwag Concession area that are most affected by the escalation in black rhino poaching. The project coordinator of the Legal Assistance Centre, Willem Odendaal, said the Conservation Support Project stems from recommendations made during a stakeholder workshop on wildlife crime held in May this year. Odendaal made the remarks when the Pupkewitz Foundation donated a Toyota Land Cruiser to the Legal Assistance Centre.