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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 - 11 of 11
Thursday, 31 August 2017
2017. Penalties for poaching.

Since 2012, after more than two decades of low numbers of poaching incidents involving elephant and rhino, Namibia has experienced an alarming increase in the poaching of these two species. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism recently reported that a total of 245 elephants were poached between 2014 and 2017, while a total of 241 rhino were poached between 2012 and 2017.

Tuesday, 29 August 2017
Smit E 2017. Teacher arrested for poaching.

A teacher was among the suspects arrested for poaching this weekend in the Kunene Region, following the recent discovery of two rhino carcasses. This brings the total of poached rhinos in Namibia to 26 for the year compared to a total of 60 in 2016.

Tuesday, 29 August 2017
2017. Seven arrested for rhino poaching.

Two rhino carcasses were discovered in the Kunene and Erongo regions, bringing the number of poached rhinos to 26 in 2017, said the environment ministry yesterday.

Monday, 21 August 2017
Itamalo M 2017. Two men found with fresh rhino horns.

Two Namibian men were arrested on Saturday afternoon at a roadblock in the Ohangwena region after police found two fresh rhino horns in their luggage. According to Ohangwena police spokesman sergeant Abner Kaume Itumba, the men aged 29 and 32 were arrested at the Onhuno roadblock in the Helao Nafidi town.

Friday, 18 August 2017
Vante-Kavela E 2017. Poaching versus human lives.

Please allow me space in your esteemed newspaper to air my views regarding the latest review of the law that was passed by lawmakers to deal with poachers and would-be poachers.

Friday, 11 August 2017
Nhongo K 2017. Outrage over N$20,000 ivory smuggling fine.

Environmentalists and conservation groups have expressed their dismay over the decision by the Windhoek High Court to fine two ivory smugglers only N$20,000, saying such a slap on the wrist defeats Government’s efforts to curb poaching.

Friday, 11 August 2017
2017. Chinese underworld exposed.

Chinese 'mafia' groups are said to be driving unprecedented wildlife crime and environmental destruction in Namibia. The unprecedented growth of Chinese immigration has brought with it the feared Chinese organised crime syndicates called triads, who are working in cahoots with Namibian crime syndicates, a renowned private investigator has observed. Andrew Fordred claims these Chinese criminals are not entrepreneurs seeking to make a quick, if dishonest, buck. Instead, they are part of ancient and well-organised criminal groups with "fierce internal discipline".

Thursday, 21 August 2014
2014. Rhino poacher gets seven years in prison.

A Kunene resident convicted of poaching a rhinoceros and possessing the endangered animal's two horns was sentenced to an effective seven years' imprisonment and fined a total of N$13 000 at the end of his trial in the Opuwo Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Nembwaya H 2014. Rhino terrorises Omuthiya residents.

One pupil and an elderly resident sustained slight injuries after they were attacked by a lone black rhino which terrorised residents of Omuthiya in Oshikoto region on Monday.

Friday, 8 August 2014
Menges W 2014. Rhino horn smuggling case postponed.

The case in which three Chinese men are charged with trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of Namibia near the end of March has again been postponed for further investigations to be carried out.

Wednesday, 6 August 2014
Smit E 2014. More arrests expected in rhino horn case.

More evidence has been discovered in the case in which three Chinese men were arrested in March, allegedly with 14 rhino horns, and this may lead to more arrests. The three Chinese nationals are accused of trying to smuggle the rhino horns worth more than N$2 million out of Namibia. They have appointed new legal representation for after they were refused bail in May.

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