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“Navara”, the codename used by Simon Ernesto Valoi, first appeared in our crosshairs in 2013 when we were researching rogue South African trophy hunters directly involved in rhino poaching and trafficking in the Kruger National Park. The article Rhino trafficking: Down the rabbit hole at Kruger did not mention Navara, but intelligence agents we spoke to did. Oxpeckers journalists kept pecking away at Navara over the years.

Namibia intends to "cull" 21 elephants in the dry north-west of the country where a small population of desert elephants roam In a statement issued on Monday, the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) said they plan to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, across the country and to distribute the meat to local people as a drought relief program. The so-called cull will take place in national parks and communal areas where authorities believe animal numbers exceed available grazing land and water supplies amid the ongoing drought.

Namibia's special environmental court operations have resulted in fines worth N$4,9 million in one year. These special courts were conducted at Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Okahao, Outapi and in Windhoek for 42 days between April 2022 and March 2023. Prosecutor general Martha Imalwa revealed this at the official opening of the Environmental Crimes Court at Otjiwarongo on Monday. "We see the total of cases amounted to 162 on the court rolls from April 2022 to March 2023.

Gerhardus Petrus van Zyl (50) is in hegtenis geneem en van onwettige jag van jagbare wild aangekla. Hy het na bewering 23 koedoe-, 17 eland-, nege hartebees- en 139 gemsbokvelle in sy besit gehad. Gerhardus Petrus van Zyl (50) was arrested and charged with illegal hunting of huntable game. He allegedly had in his possession 23 kudu, 17 eland, nine hartebeest and 139 oryx skins.

The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) launched its annual report for 2023, highlighting the successes and achievements of countries it supports in combating wildlife and forest crime, of which Namibia is one. The consortium uses targeted and evidence-based approaches to strengthen criminal justice systems and provide coordinated support to enhance responses to wildlife crime.

Approximately 400 timber planks were confiscated in the Kavango West region this month. This is according to Kavango West police regional commander Julia Sakuwa-Neo, speaking at a media briefing at Nkurenkuru yesterday. "During August, close to 400 timber planks were intercepted and confiscated after establishing that no permits or authorisation was granted," Sakuwa-Neo said. The timber was confiscated during police operations conducted in a span of one week, she added.

A joint ambush conducted by Kenya's Wildlife Service and members of the DCI Serious Crime Unit has resulted in the arrest of 57-year-old Sila Waweu in Kiambu county. Waweu, who was accompanied by three others, was caught in Kenya's southern Kibwezi area with a bag containing 185 pounds of elephant tusks worth an estimated $65,000, while his accomplices managed to evade arrest.

Somkhanda Game Reserve has embraced the latest tracking technology in their fight against rhino poaching within the reserve. The game reserve, based in the Zululand District in KwaZulu-Natal, carried out a successful three-day rhino dehorning project last month, during which they also implemented tracking technology to key individuals in the herds.

Oshikoto police regional commander Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku has issued a stern warning to poachers, saying they risk their lives by engaging with armed anti-poaching units. Without mincing her words, she warned that the authorities are committed to protecting the country's fauna and flora and said poachers risk their own lives if they shoot at security personnel deployed to safeguard wildlife species.

Oshikoto police regional commander Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku has issued a stern warning to poachers, saying they risk their lives by engaging with armed anti-poaching units. Without mincing her words, she warned that the authorities are committed to protecting the country’s fauna and flora and said poachers risk their own lives if they shoot at security personnel deployed to safeguard wildlife species.

This warning came from Oshikoto police commander commissioner Theopolina Kalompo- Nashikaku during a meeting with Oshana governor Elia Irimari at Oshakati yesterday. The meeting focused on the fight against wildlife crime in and around Etosha National Park. Kalompo-Nashikaku said when poachers see security officials patrolling in the park, they sometimes shoot at them. This undermines security officials’ mandate, she said.

Over 30 rhinos were reportedly poached in a period of six months alone in the Etosha National Park. The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Oshikoto Regional Commander, Commissioner Teopolina Kalompo-Nashikaku revealed this on Wednesday at a briefing with Oshana Governor Elia Irimari, constituency councillors and traditional authority councillors, on the fight against wildlife crimes in and around Etosha.

Police have arrested a suspected poacher in South Africa found with tens of thousands of dollars' worth of dry abalone, a coveted delicacy smuggled mainly to Asia, the environment ministry said Wednesday. The motorist, a South African man, had 27 black plastic bags containing more than 13,000 of the molluscs, the ministry said. The bags, weighing 640 kilos (more than 1,410 pounds), were worth more than one million rand ($55,000, 50,000 euros), authorities said. Poachers loot South Africa's coasts of the highly sought-after sea snail, which is protected by strict fishing quotas.…

There has been a dramatic increase in elephant poaching in northern Botswana, with little official concern about reports of the poaching. An aerial survey in July revealed 19 poached carcasses, bringing the total to 105 since October2023. Mary Rice, Executive Director of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), warns that "the increasingnumber of elephant poaching incidents being documented inBotswana should be of real concern to the widerconservation community".

An aerial survey has revealed a dramatic increase in elephant poaching in northern Botswana, with little official concern about reports of the poaching. There has been a sharp spike in elephant poaching in northern Botswana. However, there seems to be little official concern over reports of the poaching. An aerial survey in July revealed 19 poached carcasses bringing the total to 105 since October 2023.

Represented by a gruff lawyer - he slapped the phone out of the journalist's hand - hunting guide Brian Roodt is facing trial in the Magistrates' Court for a number of wildlife crimes. The defendant has also appeared in court in other parts of the country for similar offences. He is currently free on bail.

The ongoing high rates of wildlife crime in Namibia and its expansion into new sectors, despite active law enforcement efforts, are clear signs that rigorous crime fighting alone will not reduce these activities. This is according to the Namibia National Report on Wildlife Protection for 2023, which warned that while law enforcement is vital, particularly in combatting organised criminal activities, further initiatives should be employed to reduce wildlife crimes.

The federal government has unveiled the sculpture of an elephant crafted from crushed elephant tusks and ivory stockpiles. Speaking during the unveiling the minister of state for Environment , Dr. Iziaq Salako stated that the event was a signal of Nigeria’s zero tolerance for wild like trafficking. The minister stated that on January 9, 2024, Nigeria took a giant step by publicly destroying 2.5 tonnes of confiscated elephant tusks and ivory.

Demand for South Africa's abalone is so high it underpins an international smuggling trade estimated to be worth nearly £100m each year. The poachers who gather on the windswept beaches of South Africa's rocky Cape coast are immediately recognisable by the tools of their trade. Pick-up trucks drop them off clad in wetsuits and carrying diving cylinders, then they head out into the waves on fast rubber boats. Their work is not for the faint-hearted. The waters can be treacherous and divers must also avoid becoming prey for the area's plentiful great white sharks.

The jackal buzzard is a fairly large African bird of prey and the Harris's Hawk - native to the Americas - is a standout with bold dark brown, chestnut red, and white markings, long yellow legs, and yellow markings on its face. An appeal has been made to the public for any information related to the theft of the four missing birds. Centre manager James Wittstock said they hoped the birds were still alive and safe. This is the first time birds have been stolen from the Centre. There was no way they could have escaped from their enclosure.

South Africa recorded 229 rhinos poached in the first half of 2024, a slight decline from the same period last year, and the government said global cooperation is essential to save the rare animals. Poaching poses the biggest threat to the rhino population in South Africa where at least one rhino is killed for their horns every day. Rhino horns - made primarily of keratin, a protein also found in human hair and fingernails - are prized in some East Asian countries for traditional medicine and jewellery.

Markus Rooinasie (27), the co-accused of serial game poacher Derick Brockerhoff, pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal hunting of huntable game. Both appeared on this charge after a well-known neighbourhood watch member and security officer caught them with a gemsbok and kudu carcass and a Remington hunting rifle in the mountains behind Windhoek's Eros neighbourhood on 11 April.

Pangolins continue to rank second behind rhinos among the wildlife most targeted by poachers in Namibia in terms of the number of cases registered in 2023. Last year, 60 wildlife crime cases were registered for pangolins and 90 cases for rhinos. In 2022, 36 pangolin cases were registeres.

'n Man is Donderdag by 'n vulstasie op Okahandja glo met 'n lewende ietermagô in sy besit in hegtenis geneem.

Die drie vermeende ivoorsmokkelaars, mnre. Dirk Vermeulen, Edgar Clark en Michael Lusse, is Vrydag in die Walvisbaaise landdroshof op borgtog van N$30 000 elk vrygelaat.

Die eienaar van ’n wildsplaas op Outjo, waar 34 renosterhorings in Augustus uit ’n instapkluis gesteel is, is verheug twee verdagtes is in hegtenis geneem.

The arrest of more suspects connected to the theft of 34 rhino horns from a safe in a house in Outjo might follow after two men, Hofan Amakali and Elias Mutwikange, were denied bail after their first appearance in the town’s Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Inspector Maurene Mbeha, spokesperson of the Namibian Police in the Otjozondjupa Region, confirmed the arrest of Amakali and Mutwikange in the middle of last week.

Die drie vermeende ivoorsmokkelaars, mnre. Dirk Vermeulen, Edgar Clark en Michael Lusse, is Vrydag in die Walvisbaaise landdroshof op borgtog van N$30 000 elk vrygelaat. Tydens hul borgtogaansoek Donderdag en Vrydag het al drie beskuldigdes getuig hulle was nooit bewus van die olifanttande se oorsprong nie.

Three men accused of smuggling elephant tusks and attempting to sell the wildlife contraband to undercover detectives in Walvis Bay is set to bring a formal bail application to the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s court later today. Dirk Vermeulen, Edgar Clark were arrested almost three weeks ago and their co-accused Micheal Lusse was arrested a few days later in connection with the sale of two elephant tusks. They were all remanded in custody during the initial appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court Three more suspects have been arrested after the Namibian Police…

Altesaam 280 polisielede van oraloor die land word in teenstropingseenhede op 'n driemaandelikse roteringsbasis in die Palmwagkonsessie en die Etosha en Bwabwata Nasionale Parke ontplooi. Só het die polisiehoof, lt.genl. Sebastian Ndeitunga, verlede week by 'n slypskool vir wildmisdaadwetgewing aan ondersoekbeamptes en aanklaers in die hoofstad gesê.

Zwei Nashörner sind im Dordabis-Distrikt Wilderern zum Opfer gefallen. Die zwei Dickhäuter sollen zwischen dem 9. und 11. September auf einer Farm erschossen worden sein. Wie die Polizei gestern nach Redaktionsschluss mitteilte, hat der Farmeigentümer am vergangenen Donnerstag die enthornten Kadaver entdeckt. Die Polizei geht von einem Täter aus, doch bisher wurde noch niemand verhaftet und die Ermittlung dauere an.

A CIVIL servant in the employ of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture was arrested early on Wednesday morning after he attempted to flee from police who was tracking his movements because of his involvement in elephant poaching. The arrest of the education minister official follows an intricate undercover tracking operation launched by the Namibian Police and officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in the Zambezi Region. Zambezi Regional Crime Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Evans Simasiku told Informanté in an exclusive interview that the suspect…

Altesaam 13 verdagtes is verlede week vanaf 9 tot 15 September in verband met wildmisdaad in hegtenis geneem. Vyf uit die 13 verdagtes is vas oor renosterstropery of die handel in horings, en een oor olifantstropery of handel in ivoor. Volgens die weeklikse statistieke van wildmisdaad van die Namibiese polisie se eenheid vir beskermde hulpbronne (PRU) en die ministerie van die omgewing en toerisme se intelligensie- en ondersoekeenheid, is sewe nuwe sake verlede week aanhangig gemaak. Beslagleggings is op twee elk renosterhorings, olifanttande, lewende ietermagôs,…

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, has called on the Namibian police to enforce strict bail conditions to reoccurring poachers  as many of the wildlife trafficking incidents that have been reported are mostly committed by criminals who have been released from police custody on bail. He said that because the poaching business in enticing and profitable, many of the suspects commit the same offense immediately after being released on bail as no one is carefully monitoring their movement and whereabouts. 

Die vermeende renosterstroper wat Sondag glo op polisie- en weermaglede op 'n plaas buite Otavi losgebrand het, het vanoggend in dié dorp se landdroshof verskyn.

A 40-year-old suspected rhino poacher exchanged gunfire with a team of 15 Namibian Police officers and members of the Namibian Defence Force for nearly two hours on a farm outside Otavi on Sunday.

THE 25-year-old Tjingeje Muhuka and Mbinda Kenahama also aged 25, who stands accused of attempting to sell an elephant tusk to undercover detectives at the start of the weekend, were remanded in custody until 19 October after the made their first appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The two accused persons were arrested on charges of possession and trade in protected wildlife products after they attempted to sell a single elephant tusk and a dried pangolin skin to undercover detectives In Walvis Bay on Friday evening.

Die vermeende renosterstroper wat Sondag glo op polisie- en weermaglede op 'n plaas buite Otavi losgebrand het, het vanoggend in dié dorp se landdroshof verskyn. Mnr. Joseph Ngoma (42) het op klagte van die onwettige jag van beskermde wild, asook die besit van 'n renosterhoring en 'n ongelisensieerde vuurwapen en ammunisie verskyn. 'n Klag van poging tot moord is bygevoeg omdat hy Sondag glo op 15 polisie- en weermaglede geskiet het toe hulle hom in hegtenis wou neem.

Die Namibiese polisie het verlede week drie olifanttande, twee -velle en een stuk ivoor gekonfiskeer. 
Vier verdagtes is in verband met olifantstropery en -ivoorsmokkelary in hegtenis geneem, lui statistieke van wildmisdaad van 2 tot 8 September wat deur die polisie se eenheid vir bekermde hulpbronne (PRU) en die ministerie van die omgewing en toerisme se intelligensieen ondersoekeenheid verskaf is.

Geheime polisie het twee mans Saterdag op heterdaad betrap toe hulle glo twee olifanttande van die hand probeer sit het. Geen borgtog is Maandag aan mnre. Dirk Vermeulen (51) and Edgar Clark (41) toegestaan ná hulle die tande na bewering aan polisiebeamptes probeer verkwansel het nie.

A STING operation executed by members of the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region that were joined by officers from other regions in country saw the arrest of two men in Walvis Bay who attempted to sell elephant tusks to undercover detectives. According to Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, Erongo Regional Crime Investigations Coordinator, the two suspects aged 41 and 51 were arrested after they tried to finalise the transaction on Saturday afternoon.

NINE men were arrested over the past for the poaching of protected wildlife species. This is according to environment ministry spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, who stated that the suspects form part of the three newly registered wildlife criminal cases. It is alleged that Gideon Gao-Naseb, Timotheus Kasera and Champion Haraseb killed a rhino at the Omateva farm in the Omitara constituency. They now face charges of hunting of specially protected species and the removal of protected products. The trio was arrested on 20 August and have been remanded in custody.

Two men appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on a charge of dealing in elephants tusks on Monday.