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There are worrying signs that the illegal trade is becoming more organised, with professionals and government officials involved.

Another two rhinos have paid the ultimate price as a result of ongoing poaching.The circumstances surrounding the poaching of two rhinos on a Limpopo farm are being investigated by the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit. Rooiberg police, in the Waterberg District, have launched a manhunt for unknown perpetrators involved in the poaching of two rhinos on Pomo Estate.

A void left by illegal horn income may now be driving neighbouring communities to snare and shoot species such as African buffalo in the park's southwest sector. Despite the lowveld’s searing heat, thorny canopy and tough terrain, Kruger's staff and honorary rangers say they are fighting back - on foot.

The Eastern Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said it has made a significant breakthrough in combating wildlife trafficking by intercepting a substantial quantity of pangolin scales, elephant tusks and sacks of used second hand shoes worth N680,290,400 in its area of operation.

In spite of the surge in snaring of animals in the Kruger National Park officials are scrambling to come up with ways to curb the emerging onslaught to the game for bush meat. With less than two months left until the end of the year field and honorary rangers claim to have removed more than 3 000 snares that were placed across the park to trap the animals. According to the statistics, this ruthless form of poaching has been on the increase in recent years claiming more than 7  000 snares in last year as opposed to 4  000 in 2021. According…

The recent sentencing of three wildlife poachers has been hailed as a success in the anti-poaching efforts of the Greytown community. Farmers, SAPS and security companies working together to curb poaching in the Greytown area have welcomed the sentences handed down to three men aged between 27 and 42 years old, who were found guilty of illegal hunting by the Greytown Magistrate's Court. The three men were each sentenced to eight months' imprisonment or a R2 000 fine.

Rhino populations in Kruger National Park continue to decline despite innovative strategies implemented to prevent rhino poaching. The latest population count, reported in the SANParks Annual Report 2022/2023, reveals that the total rhino population has declined by 16.2%, from an estimated 2,458 rhinos in 2021 to 2,060 in 2022.

A man was arrested for the possession of 22 kilograms of ivory, valued at approximately US$3 740.

Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) on Wednesday detained two individuals, in Beira city, in the central province of Sofala, who were caught redhanded in the possession of elephant tusks that they were trying to sell.

The defence attorney in the case against a former police officer accused of being a rhino poaching kingpin has disputed that their client has 12 pending cases.

Die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme het vonnisse van minstens 13 jaar tronkstraf elk vir vier renosterstropers verwelkom. Die vonnisse is onlangs in die Windhoek-streekhof opgelê.

The Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism has welcomed sentences of at least 13 years in prison each for four rhino poachers. The sentences were handed down recently in the Windhoek Regional Court.

Meanwhile, the police at Outjo in the Kunene region arrested a 28-year-old suspect while he was transporting a rhinohorn on Friday evening. He was apprehended when the police stopped and searched the vehicle he was traveling inbetween Outjo and Okaukuejo. The rhino horn’s estimated value is N$300,000.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust's (EWT) plant detection dog, which is trained to detect succulent plants, displayed his training during a police action. Delta the dog assisted in Springbok where two males were arrested for illegal possession of 1 760 endangered plants.

The SAPS plant detection dog "Delta" trained to detect succulent plants displayed his training during a police action in Springbok where two males were arrested for illegal possession of 1760 endangered plants. A multi-disciplinary operation involving the Springbok Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit (STESU), Springbok Public Order Policing (POP) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (Shadi Henrico, Esther Matthew and K9-Delta) was held on Friday, 13 October 2023 at approximately midnight.

Despite declining national rhino poaching statistics, KwaZulu-Natal is becoming a new hotspot for these illegal activities.

The environment ministry has welcomed sentences of at least 13 years in prison each for four rhino poachers. The sentences were handed down in the Windhoek Regional Court last week. Former Brave Warriors chiropractor Gerson Kandjii (51) was also involved in the case, but died in custody in 2021. The arrests stem from an incident in December 2016, when four white rhinos were poached on a private farm in the Gobabis district. On 22 December 2016, the suspects, allegedly without a hunting permit, killed four white rhinos - two…

Zwei der Justizvollzugsbeamten, die wegen des Verdachts, an der Flucht des chinesischen Nashornschmugglers Wang Hui beteiligt gewesen und deshalb suspendiert worden waren, wurden für schuldig befunden. Ihnen wurde eine Geldstrafe auferlegt.

Two correctional officers who were suspended on suspicion of being involved in the escape of Chinese rhino smuggler Wang Hui have been found guilty. They were fined.

A high-speed chase forced three suspects to abandon their vehicle, rhino horn, communications tower battery, silencer, firearm and ammunition while evading arrest. They were intercepted by Volksrust, Mpumalanga, police conducting a stop and search operation at 10pm in Mandela Drive on Monday, police said.

Authorities have apprehended an Indonesian in an ivory smuggling operation after uncovering 38.4kg ivory consignment valued at approximately Sh10 million. The suspect was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Richter Johannes Shuuveni verurteilte vier Nashornwilderer am 18. September zu jeweils 13 Jahren Haft.

Judge Johannes Shuuveni sentenced four rhino poachers to 13 years in prison on September 18th.

Two correctional officers who were suspended after the escape of Chinese rhino-horn smuggler Wang Hui have been found guilty by an internal disciplinary process. Deputy Commissioner-General Mariana Martin of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) told Namibian Sun that based on an investigation, three officers were suspended after Wang's escape. "All three correctional officers suspended were eventually charged, with at present two found guilty of misconduct under the Correctional Service Act."

Rhino Dehorning Debate Intensifies as Poaching Continues in Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve. In the midst of an escalating rhino poaching crisis at the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi (HiP) game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a contentious debate has arisen over whether dehorning rhinos is an effective strategy to protect them. While some argue that dehorning could deter poachers, others express concerns about its effectiveness and potential consequences. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, responsible for overseeing the park, has voiced reluctance regarding the dehorning approach.

The Windhoek Magistrate Court has handed down prison sentences of up to 15 years to four individuals involved in a heinous rhino poaching case. The culprits were found guilty for their involvement in a poaching incident dating back to December 2016, where four white rhinos were ruthlessly killed on a private farm in the Gobabis District. On 22 December 2016, the suspects allegedly, without a hunting permit, killed four white rhinos - two bulls and two pregnant cows - each valued at N$1.25 million, with a total value…

Two of the correctional officers who were suspended due to the suspicion that they had a hand in the escape of the Chinese rhino horn smuggler, Wang Hui, have been found guilty.

Since 2020, snaring has tripled in the crown jewels of South Africa's Big Five reserves. This suggests economic hardship, although it is not the sole factor to blame. Responding to questions by the Democratic Alliance’s Hannah Winkler on the park’s snaring trends, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reported the removal of thousands of snares: In 2020, 2,407 snares were removed; In 2021, 4,454 snares were removed; In 2022, 7,270 snares were removed.

In a recent development in Sesheke, the Subordinate Court has handed down a five-year prison sentence to a foreign national, Edward Mushanana, aged 50, hailing from Botswana. Mr. Mushanana was found guilty of illegally possessing a lion skin weighing 12.7 kilograms.

However, the park's key strategy to combat poaching has been to dehorn its entire rhino population - with great success. The Pilanesberg has had no poaching incidents in the three years since 2020.

Global demand for collectible succulents has increased drastically over the past few years. This means that thousands of endangered plant species are illegally removed from their natural habitat by poachers and sold to meet the insatiable demand for them. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has now started a project to train three dogs and use their strong sense of smell to sniff out the succulent poachers.

The Springbok SAPS Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit (STESU) arrested two men who were driving a vehicle loaded with bags of Conophytum bilobum plants on the R382 road between Steinkopf and Port Nolloth.

An alleged rhino poacher has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars for killing three rhinos at Kruger National Park in Skukuza. Sydney Sibuyi, 40, was sentenced to thirty years of direct imprisonment in the Skukuza Regional Court on Thursday for poaching-related offences.

Joining famed conservationists Jane Goodall and Carl Jones at the 12th Oppenheimer Research Conference, a former SANParks conservation boss warns that - thanks to a lack of funds and government interference - most provincial game reserves face collapse, but suggests solutions might be found among not-forprofits, the private sector and surrounding communities.

The three were arrested in Lagos in July 2021 following the interception by Nigerian Customs agents of 196 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 7,137.40kg, one sack of pangolin claws weighing 4.60kg and 29 sacks of elephant tusks weighing 870.4kg.

The Nkayi Rural District Council has been urged to tighten its monitoring systems to stop the illegal harvesting of timber by companies as the natural resource is not benefiting local communities. Nkayi South Member of Parliament Jabulani Hadebe said there were no mechanisms in place to protect natural resources in the Matabeleland North district.

Namibia has already lost three times the number of rhinos in 2015 compared to that of last year. A total of 77 rhinos and 37 elephants have been poached so far this year. This was confirmed by the Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Colgar Sikopo on Friday. Namibia has experienced a sharp increase in cases of rhino poaching over the past five years. Namibia lost one rhino to poaching in 2009 and 2010 respectively; two rhinos were illegally killed in 2012, four in 2013 and 25 last year.

Court evidence reveals the typical methdology deployed by one of five organised crime syndicates believed to be active in Namibian wildlife trafficking, reports John Grobler.

Chief Inspector Barry de Klerk of the Namibian Police’s Protective Resources Unit delivered explosive evidence in his testimony in the trail of four Chinese nationals accused in Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling case. De Klerk described the hierarchy of an organised Chinese Triad. He revealed that Wang Hui was the kingpin in the group and said he was offered a bribe to ensure that Wang escaped justice. De Klerk said the bribery attempt is still being investigated.

The Chinese national who is suspected of being the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases was found with gold, bank cards, bank books as well as other suspect items when he was arrested. Wang Huii, who operates an import and export company in Otjiwarongo, stands accused along with three other Chinese nationals Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin who all appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday for the continuation of their trial. 

Police chief Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga told Namibian Sun that he “did not start the rumour,” referring to a probe into a senior City Police officer in respect of a rhino poaching incident. Ndeitunga, however, did not deny that the investigation was ongoing. It is the second time this week that he has washed his hands on issues in which his force is implicated. Earlier in the week, he denied any knowledge of the involvement of the police implicated in the case of the missing Khoi San in the former Caprivi, now Zambezi Region.

Aron Uiseb must have been a happy man when Omaruru magistrate Abel Sankwasa fined him N$250 which was wholly suspended for three years, after he pleaded guilty to poaching a leopard at Ai Aiba lodge near Omauru a year ago. The Namibian understands a leopard trophy is worth between N$50 000 and N$90 000.
Not only did Uiseb escape paying N$250 if he is not convicted of the same offence in the next three years, the N$15 000 he deposited as bail will be returned to him.

A timely tip-off and a swift police deployment in the dead of the night produced yet another success story in the Namibian Police’s ongoing anti-poaching campaign in the northern regions bordering the Etosha National Park when four suspected illegal hunters were caught red-handed on Wednesday morning. The suspects – including the principal of local primary school - were arrested in the Ompundja Constituency of the Oshana Region after they were allegedly found in possession of the carcasses of four duikers, one steenbok, four springhares, one rabbit and two red-crested korhaans.…