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TPO - On November 30, the Customs Sub- Department of Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi Customs Department) said that the unit had just discovered 2 Vietnamese passengers suspected of transporting rhino horn from abroad. These two passengers traveled on flight number QR984 from Angola via Doha to Vietnam.

Satellite data analysis suggests climate-induced algal blooms could be behind hundreds of deaths in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an "alarming trend" in climate-induced poisoning.The deaths in Botswana's Okavango delta were described by scientists as a "conservation disaster". Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying.

The conservation areas of Ûibasen, Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas strongly denies allegations of widespread support for the Goantagab tin mine at Khorixas. This follows allegations in local media reports that the local community supports the mining operations in the Sorris Sorris Conservation Area. "The claim that Ultimate Safaris independently opposes the mine is incorrect. Opposition to the mine is a joint effort by the conservation areas of Ûibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro !

The minister said the court enables the swift prosecution for offenses such as wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and pollution, aligning with national and international efforts to safeguard the environment.

Three suspected poachers, who allegedly travelled from Windhoek with the intention of poisoning rhinos at a farm in the Omaheke Region, were arrested by police on Saturday morning. According to the police's weekend crime report, the suspects planned to poach rhinos at Farm Morester in the Trans-Kalahari area by feeding them poisoned fruits. It is alleged that the suspects - aged between 29 and 41 - travelled on a truck from Windhoek to the Tallismanus T-junction, where they disembarked and walked to the farm.

Four Chinese nationals were arrested last week in Kampala for their involvement in illegal wildlife trade and tax evasion. The suspects were apprehended by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in collaboration with Uganda Police and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) following the discovery of illegal wildlife products and smuggled goods at their residence in Naguru, Kampala. Among the items recovered were 9.4 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, two skinned pangolin carcasses, 167 cartons of smuggled premium cigarettes, and Shs27 million in cash. 

In July this year, conservationists from North Carolina Zoo in the U.S. and the Grumeti Fund in Tanzania went searching for a white-backed vulture in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park that had been tagged a few weeks earlier. Tracking data suggested the bird had died. The team traveled off-road to the southwestern edge of the park, accompanied by rangers from the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Upon arriving at the bird's location, they came across a gruesome scene: 108 vultures had been sorted into rows, missing their heads and feet.

A proposed bill in the United Kingdom (UK) oversimplifies the complex issues surrounding wildlife conservation and poaching. This is according to Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) vice ombudsman Danene van der Westhuizen who says the anti-hunting movement treats regulated hunting and illegal poaching as the same thing. The bill seeks to ban the importation of hunting trophies from lions, elephants and other animals.

Three conservancies in Namibia and their joint venture partner are trying to fight off a mine thatthreatens wildlife and community welfare because it will ruin tourism.

Waldo McClune (38), Fabian Routh (39), Brandon Van Wyk (34) and Terence Theron (47), all members of the Block A neighbourhood watch, are said to have hunted the game at night and, with the owner's knowledge, delivered it to a well-known slaughterhouse in Rehoboth. McClune is reportedly part of the group's executive committee. The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Namibian Sun that McClune had exploited his position to influence the nightly meetings, and members were concerned about the extent of negligence and feared for their monthly dues.

The names of the three alleged poachers who were shot dead in the Etosha National Park have been revealed. They are Namibians Elifas Shali Kapembe (24), Nicky Nandiinotya Andreas (33) and Immanuel Petrus (23). According to the Namibian Police, their next of kin have been informed. The deadly gunfight occurred last Saturday during a skirmish between the three armed and suspected poachers and members of the anti-poaching unit in Etosha. According to the police, members of the anti-poaching operation in Etosha noticed footprints inside the park near the fence during a patrol on…

Three suspected poachers were shot and killed in the Etosha National Park last Friday, the Namibian Police Force has announced. Members of the police’s anti-poaching unit at Etosha observed shoeprints during their routine foot and vehicle patrols. The following day, they tracked down the suspected poachers.

Three suspected rhino poachers are expected in court after their arrest in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said they were arrested in Pongola shortly after midnight as part of Operation Vala Umgodi. "Police collected intelligence about the three suspects who were travelling from Hluhluwe to a game farm in Magudu area where they were reportedly going to poach rhinos. An operation was put in motion and the suspects' vehicle was intercepted on the R66 Road in the Pongola policing precinct," he said.

The Namibian Police in Otavi have arrested three suspects who were allegedly found in possession of warthog meat. The three suspects - one Angolan and two Namibian males - were apprehended at Farm Salem on Friday morning. The value of the warthog is estimated at N$500.

A deadly exchange of gunfire during which three suspected poachers were killed occurred over the weekend in the Etosha National Park. According to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo the fatal exchange of gunfire followed a routine patrol by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit. "The confrontation began on Friday evening when anti-poaching officers, during their routine patrols along the park’s perimeter, discovered suspicious shoeprints indicating an illegal entry through the fence.

President Nangolo Mbumba has announced the establishment of 27 new boreholes across the Kavango West region's six constituencies in a bid to tackle water scarcity and human-wildlife conflict. Additionally, two traditional wells in Mpungu constituency have been upgraded to relieve communities grappling with these persistent challenges. Speaking at a Swapo rally in Mupini over the weekend, Mbumba highlighted the party's efforts to improve living conditions in the region, one of the country’s youngest regions.

Rhino poachers are becoming domesticated. Not only do they strike more during full moons, but they even poach during daylight. So says a despondent farmer in the Okahandja district who caught two men red-handed on his farm last Tuesday with rhino horns in their possession. He says in the past three weeks, rhino poachers have raided three locations in the central area, poaching and killing rhinos.

The Namibian Police have reported a fatal shooting incident in which three suspected poachers were fatally shot by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit in Etosha National Park. According to Chief Inspector Elifas Kuwinga, media liaison officer within the Namibian Police, the incident occurred on Friday, 15 November 2024, at around 19:00. During routine foot and vehicle patrols along the park’s fence, members of the Anti-Poaching Unit observed shoe prints indicating entry into the park through the fence.

Two endangered Egyptian Vultures have landed in the Eastern Cape after a 16,600km journey, marking a pivotal step in a groundbreaking conservation effort to bring this species back from extinction in South Africa. Eastern Cape, South Africa (19 November 2024) – In a groundbreaking step for African wildlife conservation, a pair of endangered Egyptian Vultures has completed an epic 16,600-kilometre journey from San Diego to their new home in the Eastern Cape.

Kimberley - The vigilance of a Springbok SAPS K9 team led to the arrest of three suspects found in possession of rhino horns and protected plants in Springbok on Monday, 11 November 2024. The police received information about an unknown vehicle transporting rhino horns on the R355 road between Springbok and Gamoep. The intelligence was operationalised and a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) was set up on the said road to stop and search all vehicles. The police K9 protected species dog, Ozzy positively responded the luggage in one of the vehicles stopped and searched.

Six years ago, on the 21st August 2018, Michele Pickover, Executive Director of the EMS Foundation and Dr Smaragda Louw, Director of Ban Animal Trading, jointly presented their findings of an eighteen month investigation and research project about South Africa’s role in the international lion bone trade at a Colloquium held in the Parliament of South Africa.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife remains confident in the effectiveness of its rhino dehorning programme, despite the recent loss of 20 dehorned rhinos targeted for their horn stumps in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP). Since the programme's launch in April, over 1 000 rhinos have been dehorned, resulting in a significant drop in poaching numbers. Initially, Ezemvelo was hesitant to dehorn rhinos due to cost concerns and the sanctuary's unique appeal for tourists seeking to see rhinos with horns.

The vigilance of a Springbok SAPS K9 team led to the arrest of three suspects found in possession of rhino horns and protected plants in the Northern Cape town.

A study has found that data collected over a period of 53 years on elephant populations in Africa show that a dramatic decline in elephant populations has been recorded over the period. This study concludes that habitat loss and poaching are the reason for the dramatic decline in African elephants. However, the study, "Survey based inference of continental African elephant decline," published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that it was difficult to measure the numbers for the entire continent and to monitor changes accurately.

The Namibian Police Force in the Oshana region has arrested a 42-year-old man after his vehicle was intercepted with timber loaded in it at the Oshiko roadblock on Thursday. Oshana Crime Investigation Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Frederick Ndjadila, said that the suspect was caught around 21:00. According to Ndjadila, the suspect faces charges of possession of forest produce without a permit/license, transportation of forest produce without a permit/license, and driving a motor vehicle without a license.

South Africa has become the world's largest exporter of big cats and their body parts, with a thriving yet poorly regulated industry enabling illegal trade, according to a new report by global animal welfare organisation Four Paws. More than 3,500 live big cats and 34,000 body parts were exported from South Africa over the past two decades, revealed the report based on data from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other conservation partners, has launched a rhino ear-notching and transmitter fitting exercise within the Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ). This initiative will involve the ear-notching and transmitter fitting of 20-25 rhinos, enhancing traceability and protection efforts. The exercise employs advanced technology, including LoRaWAN-enabled tracking devices, which enable near real-time monitoring and improved conservation outcomes.

Across the African continent, elephant populations have largely declined over the past several decades, but some areas show hopeful signs of recovery, according to a new study. Researchers have monitored the numbers of forest and savanna elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis, L. africana) in different parts of Africa since the 1960s. However, few stud ies have compiled all the survey data collected over decades, across the continent, George Wittemyer, study co-author and conservation biologist at Colorado State University, U.S., told Mongabay by email.

Police officers from Mtwapa Police Station, along with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers, have arrested two Tanzanian nationals allegedly involved in the illegal ivory trade. Paul Kuya and Paul Telek were nabbed from their hideout in Majengo, Mtwapa. The suspects, identified as Paul Kuya (36) and Paul Telek (29), were apprehended in a hideout in the Majengo area of Mtwapa, where authorities uncovered eleven elephant tusks weighing 32.924 kilograms. How did officers recover the tusks? The tusks, valued at KSh 3.3 million, were packed in nylon sacks and concealed in three…

Farmer and hunting operator in the Otjiwarongo district, Johan van Rensburg, was arrested last Thursday after a live crocodile and a crocodile carcass were discovered on his farm, according to the protected resources unit at the Namibian police. He appeared in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate's Court on Friday in connection with the illegal hunting and transportation of two crocodiles. Van Rensburg, the owner of Osonjiva Safaris Namibia, was released on bail of N$20 000 and the case has been postponed for further investigation until 17 February 2025.

The dehorning project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozirhino sanctuary in KwaZulu-Natal has suffered asetback, with at least 20 dehorned animals gunneddown for their remnant horn stumps over the pastmonth. E (right) collect blood samples prior to the dehorning of another rhinoin Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. The dehorning project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozirhino sanctuary in KwaZulu-Natal has suffered asetback, with at least 20 dehorned animals gunneddown for their remnant horn stumps over the past month. 

Habitat loss and poaching have driven dramatic declines in African elephants, but it is challengingto measure their numbers and monitor changes across the entire continent. A new study hasanalyzed 53 years of population survey data and found large-scale declines in most populations ofboth species of African elephants. From 1964–2016, forest elephant populations decreased on average by 90%, and savanna elephantpopulations fell on average by 70%. In combination, populations declined by 77% on average.

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom (UK) to collaborate on the regional application of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), which aims to restore landscapes. The KAZA Secretariat was represented by its Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe, while the UK was represented by Giles Enticknap MBE, the UK’s High Commissioner to Botswana and Special Representative to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Hluhluwe - Dehorning rhinos is the last resort in fighting rhino poaching and saving the under-siege species. That's according to the Chief Executive of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Sihle Mkhize. Of 499 rhinos poached across the country in 2023, 307 were from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has dehorned 1,800 rhinos at the park since April this year in an effort to curb rhino poaching.

For the third time this year, a group of southern white rhinos have made a big move as part of an even bigger initiative that’s giving the future of their species hope! Rhino Rewild plans to move 2000 rhinos to safer locations in the next ten years, and they are well on their way.

The recently released Nature Conservation Index (NCI) places South Africa 25th out of 180 countries, recognising strides in biodiversity conservation while highlighting significant areas needing improvement. The NCI, developed by BioDB, evaluates countries based on 25 critical indicators across land management, species protection, governance, and future conservation trends. Despite its mid-level global position, South Africa faces challenges, notably in marine conservation and governance stability, which impact the country’s ability to effectively enforce environmental policies…

Poachers should be ashamed of themselves for killing innocent animals, said deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu. Just a week ago, Nambahu explained that the ministry was aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. "Shame on them for doing what they are doing to innocent animals. I have never heard of a rhino destroying a mahangu field or killing anyone. Why must it be killed because someone wants its parts?" he asked.

The Kunene Region has been free of rhino poaching for nearly five months. This was revealed by Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia chief operating officer, Dr Axel Hartmann, during a debate about legalising the trade in rhino horns in Namibia.

The three Chinese men accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhinoceros horns out of Namibia in March last year could be joined in the dock by a compatriot, after another suspect was arrested in connection with their case this week. The fourth suspect to be arrested about the alleged attempt to smuggle rhino horns and a leopard skin out of Namibia on 24 March last year is a 40-year-old Chinese resident of Otjiwarongo, Wang Hui, who was apprehended in Windhoek on Monday evening.

There has been a major breakthrough with the arrest of a Chinese man whom the police believe to be the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases. Wang Huii was arrested on Monday at the Windhoek Country Club and has been charged with the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. He appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday. The 40-year-old Huii is being linked to the three Chinese men who were arrested with 14 rhino horns last year at the Hosea Kutaku International Airport.

Deputy minister of environment and tourism Tommy Nambahu says his ministry is aware that local people are being used in the poaching of elephants and rhinos. He said this during a sponsorship handover by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the wildlife crime prevention unit of the Namibian police force yesterday.

The Namibian police are investigating a case of illegal hunting of protected game, after two white rhinoceroses were found dead at the weekend. The rhino carcasses were found at Farm Okamahoro, situated approximately 30 kilometres west of Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa region. The game farm is a privately owned commercial entity, farming with game like rhinos.

Another two white rhinos have been poached on a game farm near Okahandja, pushing the number of rhino carcasses that have been discovered in Namibia this year up to 62. Police spokesperson Inspector Slogan Matheus yesterday confirmed that two white rhinos were discovered on farm Okamahoro in the Snyrivier District. The game farm is situated approximately 30km outside of Okahandja.

Last year Namibia lost 24 rhinos to poaching. For the first four months of this year, 60 rhino carcasses have already been found. If that is not a crisis, what is?

Suspects have been identified in the ongoing Etosha National Park poaching spree and arrests are expected soon. This is according to Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, who also announced that the reward money for information leading to the arrest of the poachers had been doubled from N$30 000 to N$60 000. The minister said there had already been breakthroughs in the north-eastern regions, including Zambezi, where six suspects had been arrested.

The probe into poaching in the Etosha National Park, where 54 rhino carcasses have been found this year alone, will include investigating rumours of the possible involvement of park staff and management. "Everything will be investigated and no stone will be left unturned. I have already seen two problems and that is the negligence of staff and the other suspicions could be very serious," said Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta.