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Wildlife officials have hailed the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) recent decision to appeal what it called the lenient sentences handed to two rhino poachers in May, as well as the jailing this week of one of the men in a separate case.

The government has put poachers at the Maasai Mara game reserve on notice after it emerged that five elephants and three giraffes were killed under mysterious circumstances over the past two months. Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde while addressing the Jamhuri day celebrations at Oldekesi Secondary School in Narok West Sub County said the three giraffes had their reproductive organs chopped off raising suspicion over the intention of the poachers.

Pretoria - The Hawks in Mpumalanga have arrested Martin Prince Lekhuleni, 37, and his sister Eunice Lekhuleni, 24, who were circulated by the elite crime fighting unit earlier this week as wanted individuals. The siblings, who were wanted on charges of money laundering in connection to payment of Kruger National Park field rangers in exchange for tactical information, handed themselves in to police.

Two people accused of money laundering avoided capture during a take-down operation in Mpumalanga. They are accused of paying money into accounts of Kruger National Park field rangers and their families in return for tactical information for rhino poaching syndicates. The Hawks have urged the pair to turn themselves in.

Pretoria - Six people have been remanded in custody after they appeared before the Zeerust Magistrate's Court for possession of a pangolin.

Pretoria - Two men, Junior Chauke aged 49 and Prince Ntsako Letswele, aged 33 were remanded in custody by the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court after they were arrested for alleged possession of rhino horn. Hawks' spokesperson in Mpumalanga Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said the duo was arrested after police received information about a vehicle with the occupants in possession of firearms, reportedly driving towards Ermelo.

A task team formed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) will help captive lion breeders with a strategy to exit the industry. In a statement released by DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy, the appointment of the eight-member ministerial task team follows recommendations made by a high-level panel (HLP) on the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhino.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Amara Cherif, a/k/a "Bamba Issiaka," a citizen of Guinea, was sentenced to 57 months for conspiring to traffic in millions of dollars in rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory, both endangered wildlife species, which involved the illegal poaching of more than approximately 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.

After receiving a tip-off from a whistleblower, two men were arrested for illegal possession of a pangolin in Alberton on December 11.

Cape Town - Anti-rhino poaching activist Wayne Bolton has called for stronger collaborative action from the government amid concern over rising rhino poaching cases. According to Bolton, rhino poaching across Africa saw a significant decrease during strict Covid-19 lockdowns, but as the restrictions loosened, poachers intensified their onslaught on the species, with South Africa being hardest hit.

The CGC Strike Force, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday, said it arrested a 70-year-old man and his son, in connection with the seizure of 376.4kg of pangolin scales at Epe market in Lagos State.

Two suspected mountain zebra hunters were arrested in the Maltahohe area on Friday. They face charges of "hunting of specially protected game without a permit".

Quiçama Park administrator denounces that individuals with money have "encouraged" poachers. Lack of personnel and transport cited as a reason for poor enforcement. Park has just over 100 staff, but needs at least 600. In 2021, the Government presented a project to stop poaching in the country.

The two main suspects have pending charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud to related wildlife trafficking. Photo for illustration: Susan Scott, Stroop Police have arrested nine suspects between the ages of 22 and 61 in a multidisciplinary poaching blitz codenamed "Blood Orange" conducted in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo provinces. The arrests follows a targeted investigation which involved looking into the suspect’s financial affairs, with auditing firm KPMG brought in to scrutinise the flow of cash into their accounts.

Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda on Thursday, December 1st 2022, sentenced Zambian national Kelby Roy Malambo to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for the three charges he faced in the MK53m wildlife crime case involving elephant ivory.

International Rhino Foundation (IRF) communications director Christopher Whitlatch said: "Zimbabwean rhino poachers have been involved in major illegal activities in South Africa. "Taking the Eastern Cape as an example, the Zimbabwean rhino poaching gang that recently escaped from jail had been convicted for killing and dehorning numerous rhinos in hit-and-run incidents in that province. "Other cross-border rhino crimes include South African criminals operating in Zimbabwe," he said

Police said four women are in custody for the possession of lion cubs they were selling in Boksburg North.

Three men have been arrested in Cape Town for illegal possession and processing of abalone. The suspects, aged between 26 and 57, were nabbed on Thursday during a search and seizure operation by the Hawks and members of Sea Border Police Cape Town.

Altesaam 106 verdagtes is vanjaar vir stropery in hegtenis geneem. Intussen maak rolspelers gereed om wildbeskerming en wetstoepassingspogings teen wildmisdaad in Namibië hierdie feesseisoen op te skerp. Van hierdie 106 is 44 vir renosterstropery en 62 verdagtes vir olifantstropery in hegtenis geneem. Die ministerie van die omgewing, bosbou en toerisme se woordvoerder, mnr. Romeo Muyunda, het gesê wat ontstellend is, is dat 93 van dié verdagtes Namibiërs is - 'n groep wat volgens die ministerie die voortou in die stryd teen stropery behoort te neem.

A member of the Namibian Police Force's (NamPol) Protected Resources Unit (PRU) in the Otjozondjupa Region, who is accused of the alleged theft of a rhino horn placed under his care, secured bail on Thursday. Magistrate Peingondjabi Shipo granted the 45-year-old Sergeant Salatiel Simon bail of N.dollars 10 000, on condition that the accused does not leave the district of Otjiwarongo without informing police officers involved in the investigations of his case.

The Kruger National Park (KNP) expects a decline in rhino poaching incidents due to heavy sentences imposed on five poachers in November. The acting managing executive of the KNP, Dr Danny Govender, commended the Skukuza Regional Court for imposing lengthy jail terms in recent cases and said it shows they are making good progress in fighting rhino poaching.

A 39-year-old man is expected to appear before the Calcutta Magistrate's Court in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, today after he was arrested by the Nelspruit Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the White River K9 Unit and Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority.

The Bole District Magistrate Court presided over by His Worship, Edward Essel, has sentenced two poachers who shot and killed a buffalo at the Mole National Park in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region, to 72 days each imprisonment with hard labour.

A South African woman leaving the country for Dubai was nabbed this week with 12 rhino horns in her luggage at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, according to the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

Whenever there is an outbreak of a new infectious disease, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic, we are quick to identify the animal or species that hosted the virus.  However, we pay little attention to the role people who deal in illegal wildlife products play in causing the "species jump" and spreading Zoonotic diseases. Poachers illegally hunt in national parks, game management areas and private game farms. As a result, they are always fearful of being spotted by someone or being caught by village scouts or wildlife police officers.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has announced the arrest of five people over the possession of elephant tusks in violation of the Wildlife Management laws.

Durban - A total of 61 rhinos were killed for their horns in KwaZulu-Natal between January 1, 2022, and March 25, 2022.

The Katima Mulilo Special Court has acquitted a man of killing a lion and trying to sell its teeth. Magistrate Barry Mufana has found that George Chaka admitted to killing a lion with a poisoned cow as bait, in fear he would be refused bail if he did not admit guilt. He found that the 47-year-old Chaka could be correct in saying that someone planted the lion's teeth in his pocket when they were arrested near a local fuel station.

Five people were arrested in Midrand, Gauteng for pangolin trafficking and contravening the National Environmental Management-Biodiversity (NEMBA) Act. The Hawks pounced on the suspects after receiving a tip-off.

Four traffickers have been arrested for trafficking in ivory tusk, pangolin, and chimpanzee.

Rustenburg -Two field rangers were arrested for allegedly sharing tactical information with rhino poaching syndicates in exchange for large sums of money, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, said on Sunday.

Poachers have since January killed 106 rhinos in the South African KwaZulu-Natal province, surpassing numbers for the whole of 2021, claims a poaching report partially released last week.

Four people have been arrested for trying to sell a pangolin for R250 000. They were arrested at a North West mall while attempting to find a buyer. The pangolin was found in their car and taken to safety.

A group of 36 anti-poaching rangers graduated at the Waterberg Law Enforcement Centre last week after receiving basic wildlife protection and law enforcement training.

Schutzgebiete sind auch Namibias wichtigste Touristenattraktionen und gelten als Schlüssel zur Erholung des Tourismussektors. Namibia hat 86 registrierte kommunale Hegegebiete und 43 Gemeinschaftswälder, die zusammen fast 22 % der Landmasse des Landes bedecken.

Protected areas are also Namibia's top tourist attractions and are considered key to the recovery of the tourism sector. Namibia has 86 registered communal conservancies and 43 community forests, which together cover nearly 22% of the country's landmass.

Four suspected poachers have been arrested. Two were found in the Kruger National Park on Monday and the other two were arrested on Tuesday. This week, two other men were sentenced to 19 years in prison after they were arrested for poaching.

Additionally, 770 suspects were arrested for wildlife crimes. Wildlife products confiscated included 108 elephant tusks, 117 pangolins and 59 rhino horns, while 42 unlicensed firearms used in the commission of wildlife crimes were seized.

Pretoria - The Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced two rhino poachers to an effective 19 years in jail, after the two Mozambican nationals were arrested last month inside the Kruger National Park.

Poverty around protected parks is not the main reason rhino poaching thrives, argues researcher Ian Glenn. 

Community participation is key to reducing wildlife crimes amid concerns that the country is losing revenue as a result of poaching. Poachers kill elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns. The official value of ivory is US$250 per kilogramme yet poachers can sell it for as little as US$50 per kilogramme.

Our investigation into pangolin trade from Uganda to China exposes serious legal loopholes.

Two men have been sentenced to 44 years' imprisonment for rhino poaching. They have also been found guilty of possession of four rhino horns. Their sentences will run concurrently.

Moving rhinos from South Africa to Botswana's Okavango Delta without properly involving local people meant key chances to protect the animals from poaching were missed, scientists and community leaders have said. As the Delta reels from a surge in rhino poaching, which has killed close to 100 of the animals in the last three years, the authorities have taken the unusual step of evacuating all remaining both black and white rhinos from the region.

Two poachers have been arrested by rangers of the Mole National Park in the Savannah Region for allegedly poaching and killing a buffalo in the park.

A 59-year-old Masvingo farmer yesterday appeared in court after he was found in possession of 52 crocodile skins worth US$78 000, without a licence.

A TRUCK containing unprocessed timber intended for exportation to South Africa was seized by Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism officials in Windhoek. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the 1 500 planks on the truck are held and the transport permit is temporarily suspended, pending further investigations to establish where the timber came from and if it was legally acquired. Muyunda stated that in 2018 the Ministry introduced a moratorium on timber harvesting, transportation, marketing and exporting. "This has led to a…

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) recently held 1500 planks of unprocessed timber in Windhoek intended for export to South Africa, an official said Wednesday. The timber was confiscated and the transport permit was temporarily suspended pending further investigations to establish where the timber came from and if it was legally acquired during the weekend of 08 to 10 April, MEFT spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.

A game farmer has been fined R240,000 after pleading guilty to four charges relating to illegal hunting, possession and translocation of game. Ryan Wall, 48, from Durbanville, Cape Town, was sentenced in the Malmesbury regional court on Wednesday. A further fine of R930,000 was suspended for five years. CapeNature said the charges related to illegal activities in 2015 and 2016 on Wall's game farm in Doornfontein, near Darling. "In 2015, Wall was caught hunting two trophy eland bulls outside the hunting season and without permits.

A 34-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man appeared in the Ubombo magistrate's court for allegedly killing a crocodile.

Limpopo game farmer Dawie Groenewald and his co-accused were arrested about 12 years ago on a multitude of rhino poaching-related charges, yet their criminal trial has yet to start.