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'n Beloning wat sal lei tot die inhegtenisneming van 'n renosterstroperysindikaat wat nou al vier renosters op 'n plaas naby Maltahöhe in die Hardapstreek gestroop het, het nou gestyg tot N$1 miljoen nadat nóg drie karkasse gister ontdek is. 'n Beloning van N$200 000 is aanvanklik aangebied vir die inhegtenisneming wat sal lei tot die skuldigbevinding van die stropers wat onlangs 'n witrenosterkoei gestroop het en haar kalf, Elsa, wees gelaat is.

Kenya Wildlife Service has started the process of relocating 21 critically endangered Rhinos to a new sanctuary on Saturday. The move is meant to help support the species’ long-term survival, says Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano. "By moving rhinos from Ol Pejeta, Lewa, and Nakuru, all sanctuaries currently operating at over 100% of their carrying capacity, we are reducing deadly territorial fights that account for over 30% of rhino mortalities." The newly prepared Segera Conservancy is Kenya’s 18th black rhino sanctuary.

Bush burning as a means of hunting was historically common in many African societies. However, while modernisation and technological innovation have significantly reduced the practice, it is still carried out in some areas, including conservation centres. One such area is Ghan's Mole National Park (MNP), where some people burn parts of the forests to carry out illegal hunting expeditions, otherwise known as poaching.

In 2019, Malawi dismantled the Chinese-led Lin-Zhang wildlife trafficking syndicate, a major win in its fight against the illegal wildlife trade, thanks in part to funding from the U.S. government. The Trump administration’s recent slashing of international development funds, however, threatens these gains, leaving frontline enforcers and conservation programs without critical support. NGOs across Africa and Southeast Asia, running initiatives from sniffer rat programs to antipoaching patrols, tell Mongabay they're struggling to fill the funding gap.

Katima Mulilo: A renewed crackdown on poaching in the Zambezi region is yielding results. Wildlife crime in the area is now under control, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has confirmed. The assurance follows the recent arrest of a suspect at the Katima Mulilo checkpoint, who was found in possession of lion bones and fat. MET's chief control warden for the region Morgan Saisai said the successful operation reflects the strength of ongoing anti-poaching measures, strategic partnerships and active community involvement.

Reports of drone sightings in rural parts of the country are raising concern among farmers, who suspect the devices may be used for poaching and livestock theft. According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), more farmers are reporting drones flying over farms and remote homesteads, especially at night. The union said the sightings have sparked questions about possible links to recent criminal activity. In response, a group of concerned individuals has created a protocol to track drone sightings and compare them with reports of theft or poaching.

Namibia Wildlife Protection (NWP), a wholly-owned Namibian company providing anti-poaching security solutions to private individuals and businesses, depends on the reliability and dependability of their JAC T9 Super Lux double cab. Working in conjunction with NWP's thermal drone flights and regular foot patrols, the company utilises the JAC T9 to cover large tracts of private Namibian territory to detect any illegal movements or activities related to poaching."We see ourselves as one of the industry leaders in protection innovation.

Zhanjiang Customs of China announced on 17 May that the individual - named only as Huang inthe official statement - had been arrested and repatriated from Mozambique . EIA commends China Customs for its commitment to criminal justice and we congratulate it on thislatest success. The Shuidong ivory smuggling network was first exposed by EIA in 2017 , following our three-yearinvestigation tracing the syndicate's operations in Tanzania and Mozambique. The syndicate came from Shuidong, in Guangdong province, China.

Fifteen rhinos and one elephant have been poached this year. This was confirmed by the tourism ministry today. The ministry said that as part of their bi-annual report on wildlife crime and law enforcement, they will issue a detailed statement on the matter in June, including updates on poached animals, suspects arrested, items confiscated, and general crime prevention strategies put in place.

Former tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta expressed his disappointment in the ministry's actions and communication regarding the latest rhino poaching in the Hardap Region. A white rhino cow was poached this weekend on a farm near Maltahohe, leaving behind a calf named Elsa orphaned. The calf was only found two days after the incident. A reward of N$160 00 has been issued for any information.

Police in Mozambique yesterday arrested a man who was trying to sell elephant tusks in the city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country. The 40-year-old man was caught trying to sell the tusks for 2,000 meticais (€28) per kilogram in the Metula neighbourhood of the provincial capital, police spokesperson Eugénia Nhamússua told the media today. "We are processing the report to legalise his arrest, for subsequent steps," she explained.

With the endless challenges facing African governments, such as poverty, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, and institutional fragility, wildlife conservation is invariably at the bottom of the "to-do list". One of Africa's central paradoxes is that the continent has unparalleled natural wealth, from iconic megafauna to diverse ecosystems, but most nations can't afford to care for it. The brutal math of governance forces difficult choices. Build schools or protect elephants?

Over the past twenty years, the organizations operating in the eastern concession blocks of Niassa Special Reserve, straddling Niassa and Cabo Delgado Provinces, Kambako, Luwire, Chuilexi Conservancy, and Mariri/Niassa Carnivore Project, have made one of the largest and longest-standing investments in conservation and rural development in Mozambique. Together, these organizations protect over 17,842 km² of wilderness in Niassa across eight concessions, supporting wildlife and people across 28 villages with 14,649 residents.

The U.S., the largest importer of wildlife products in the world, brings in nearly 10,000 species of plants and animals into the country legally, some of which have a high potential to become invasive species. A recent study assessed these imported species and identified 32 as having the highest risk for becoming invasive, posing threats to local ecosystems and to human health.

Yet another mass poisoning of vultures has occurred in Mpumalanga. More than 100 critically endangered raptors have been found dead, their carcasses strewn around a poisoned warthog in Lionspruit Game Reserve near Kruger Park. The poisoning is the latest in a string of deliberate killings and has triggered alarm among conservationists, who now believe these attacks are part of a coordinated effort by criminal poaching syndicates to wipe out vultures - nature's watchmen - before launching a wave of poaching activity.

Authorities are offering a reward of N$160,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for a brutal poaching incident in the Hardap Region. Between 9 and 11 May 2025, a white rhinoceros cow was found shot and dehorned on a farm near Maltahöhe. Her orphaned calf, named Elsa, was discovered two days later and has since been rescued. The Namibian Police's Blue Rhino Task Team, alongside Mike Bolhuis from Specialised Security Services in South Africa, is leading the investigation.

Onankali, has launched an operation to combat the illegal sale of firewood at Omuthiya and surrounding villages. The initiative has already resulted in several confiscations of illegally harvested wood, Omuthiya Town Council spokesperson Martha Andreas said on Friday. Directorate of Forestry officials also used the opportunity to inform wood vendors about the correct processes for harvesting, transporting, and selling firewood. "Our people should know that permits are mandatory for all firewood-related activities," Andreas emphasised.

A 22-year-old black rhino was fatally shot by poachers at Imire Conservancy in Marondera, Zimbabwe, sparking outrage and grief among wildlife conservationists, who are vowing to intensify efforts to protect endangered species. The rhino named Gomo was brutally killed for its horn. Speaking following the devastating news, Reilly Travers, a conservationist at Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation expressed pain and devastation from Gomo's death. "Imire's soul has just been ripped from within. We have just had one of our beloved Rhino shot today.

China has updated its pharmacopeia, its list of approved traditional and Western drugs, to remove traditional formulas with pangolin scales, offering hope for pangolin conservation - but also leaving some concerns about continued production. The new edition, effective Oct. 1, 2025, removes both raw pangolin scales and all formulas known to contain them, marking a significant step forward in conservation efforts, though conservationists caution that a few untracked formulas may still remain.

In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through Malawi's justice and conservation circles, Principal Resident Magistrate Benjamin Chulu has ordered that Chinese wildlife crime kingpin, Lin Yun Hua, remain behind bars as he awaits trial for serious corruption charges. Yun Hua, once dubbed Malawi's most notorious environmental criminal, was on the verge of walking free after a controversial presidential pardon - despite serving less than half of his 14-year sentence for wildlife trafficking and money laundering. The move sparked an uproar.

As environmental crime goes global and awareness of its massive scope rises, finding agreement between governments on which illegal trades to target, and how, is not simple and leads to a piecemeal approach, a new op-ed argues. The case for international law enforcement cooperation is growing stronger, though, with the U.N. recently launching an intergovernmental process to explore new protocols targeting environmental crime under its existing convention against transnational organized crime, UNTOC.

Messor cephalotes, also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant, is a large, aggressive harvester ant species native to eastern Africa, particularly in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. In Kenya, two ant smuggling cases recently made global headlines. It's part of a growing problem with biopiracy and the illicit trade in wild animals. In Kenya last week, four young men were found guilty of attempting to smuggle ants.

Police are keeping mum about the extradition of Li Song, wanted in connection with the use of poison in the illegal wildlife trade. Zimbabwe’s national police force appears reluctant to pursue Li Song, a Chinese citizen allegedly at the centre of what wildlife activists say is a high-powered poaching network that uses cyanide to kill animals in the country’s game reserves. Li was arrested in 2024 by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) for allegedly importing large quantities of cyanide fraudulently and storing the toxic substance in unsafe locations.

The People's Court of Hanoi opened a first-instance trial and sentenced Cao Xuan Manh, a major transnational tiger trafficker from Nghe An, to 7 years in prison under the second punishment bracket of Article 244 of the Penal Code 2015 (amended in 2017). Manh's two accomplices, Nguyen Van Ba and Nguyen Van Cung, were sentenced to 5 and 4 years in prison, respectively. On January 12, 2024, Manh and two accomplices were caught by the Hanoi Economic Police Department while attempting to illegally trade a 4.1 kg rhino horn.

A 50-year-old man was arrested at the Liselo checkpoint near Katima Mulilo after he was found in possession of protected game products, including lion teeth, bones and oils extracted from lion fat. The discovery was made on Monday at midday during a routine vehicle search conducted by law enforcement officers with the assistance of a K-9 sniffer dog. The officers discovered illegal wildlife products hidden in the traveller's bag. The suspect, who has yet to appear in court, failed to produce a valid permit authorising possession or transport of the protected game items.

On Nov. 11, 2024, Alfi Simatupang, a police officer in Asahan district on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, was arrested along with two soldiers and a civilian for allegedly attempting to traffic nearly 1.2 metric tons of pangolin scales. Since that bust, the civilian, Amir Simatupang, has gone on trial; the soldiers, Muhammad Yusuf Harahap and Rahmadani Syahputra, are undergoing a court-martial; while Alfi, the alleged mastermind of the trafficking plot, has not only avoided prosecution, but even been promoted.

The Cape vulture, Southern Africa's only endemic vulture species, has shown positive signs of recovery in some parts of its range, with the overall population stabilizing. In 2021, the species' conservations status improved from endangered to vulnerable, making the Cape vulture a rare success story for vulture conservation in Africa, say conservationists.

A suspected poacher was wounded and arrested while allegedly trespassing in the Kruger National Park. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the 47-year-old man was arrested in the Xitsalaleni Block on Monday. "The regional ranger of the Marula North Section in Kruger National Park was alerted by field rangers from the Houtboschrand area, who had picked up tracks of two individuals inside the park," said Ndubane. "The regional ranger immediately dispatched the K9 Unit to follow the tracks and requested helicopter support from Skukuza, along with hounds on…

The Mole National Park, located in the Savannah Region of the country is Ghana's first, largest and most prestigious protected area which is home to different species of wildlife. The Mole National Park, known for its elephant herds, antelopes, and exotic bird species is the largest and covers about 4,577 kilometers. However, poaching activities at the park is causing a decline and extinction of the species. The park authorities are worried that the poaching activities could affect the number of visitors to the park and by extension affect revenue generation.

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Wildlife Conservation Network have partnered to launch a new wildlife leadership program focusing entirely on rhino conservation practitioners, which includes Namibia. The IRF said that the program will start this month and will include rhino professionals in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. It said that the transformative program Rising Wildlife Leaders: Careers, will equip local conservationists with the knowledge of where rhinos live and with the skills, mentorship and career support they need to make a lasting impact.

Police at Skukuza, in Mpumalanga, have arrested two Mozambican nationals aged 29 and 38 for possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition. Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the two men also face charges of trespassing in the Houtboschrand Ranger area within the Kruger National Park. "The arrest came after the field rangers who were on patrol picked up tracks of three suspected poachers. They informed their regional ranger of Marula North section, who immediately dispatched the K9 unit, and they started tracking," said Ndubane.

The global demand for small wildlife, including ants, spiders and scorpions, is increasing. Just this week, a group of Belgians and Vietnamese were sentenced for smuggling ants out of Kenya. Dr Caswell Munyai, a myrmecologist from UKZN has more on this.

The police in Skukuza have arrested two male Mozambican nationals, aged 29 and 38, for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as for trespassing in the Houtboschrand Ranger area in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The men were arrested on Thursday, May 8.

Lions are the most-traded wildcat in the world, and the only big cat whose commercial trade is permitted under CITES, the international wildlife trade agreement. Lion body parts, including bones, skins, claws and teeth, trophies and live individuals are traded across the world, both legally and illegally. South Africa stands out as a hotspot for the trade due to the flourishing captive lion industry, which also supplies body parts and engages in canned hunting.

Eighty-four vultures have been rescued by a joint team of SANParks rangers and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) officials from a devastating poisoning in the Kruger National Park. The incident in the Mahlangeni Section of the Park was detected by the EWT's pioneering wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system, which triggered an alert at 06:05 on 6 May 2025, flagging suspicious activity in a remote section of the park. Within hours, a joint SANParks and EWT team mobilised, arriving on site by 08:20.

An elephant carcass, laced with poison and surrounded by more than 100 dead vultures, marked one of the most devastating wildlife poisoning events yet seen in the Kruger National Park. Remote sensing triggered a scramble to save birds that were still alive. In a coordinated emergency operation spanning helicopters, ambulances and nearly 24 hours of intensive care, 84 poisoned vultures were pulled back from the brink.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has commanded a joint law enforcement operation, which led to the arrest of three suspects involved in illegal abalone possession in the Eastern Cape. Three male suspects, aged 27, 28, and 32, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, following a joint operation by the Gonubie SAPS, East London Dog Unit, and Green Scorpions. The operation was initiated after authorities received an intelligence about illegal diving activities at German Bay Beach.

A Kenyan court has sentenced four men to one year in prison or pay a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for trying to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country. The four suspects - two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan - were arrested last month with live ants suspected to have been destined for collectors in Europe and Asia. They had pleaded guilty to the charges, with the Belgians telling the court that they were collecting the highly sought-after ants as a hobby and didn't think it was illegal.

In the Eastern Cape, Justin Terblanche is known for his love of rhinos. The anti-poacher shares that he's known as the 'Rhino Whisperer' in the area and that his life's mission lies in protecting the gentle giants who once roamed the Earth with far more freedom and in far greater numbers. "Losing [rhinos] would leave an irreplaceable void in the natural world," says Justin. "If we don’t act now, future generations may never see a rhino roaming wild." Working at Lombardini Game Farm, Justin has seen first-hand the impact of poaching. The land was once home to 19 rhinos.

Conservation is under serious threat from mining activities in protected areas countrywide, putting wild animals at risk of extinction, a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) official has said. Giving oral evidence to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Parliamentary Portfolio Committee this Monday, ZimParks Corporate Secretary Nyasha Mutyambizi said the Mines ministry continued to accept applications for mining purposes in the restricted areas meant for conservation and tourism.

On 23 April 2025, a powerful conversation unfolded during a virtual webinar hosted by the Namibian Youth Chamber of Environment. Titled "Uncovering Plant Poaching and How the Youth Can Lead the Way in Protecting Our Flora", the session brought to light a pressing yet often overlooked environmental issue: the illegal harvesting and trafficking of Namibia's unique, rare and endemic plant species. Two passionate professionals led the discussion, Mr. Tulonga Kalipi, Junior Data Analyst at Blue Rhino, and Mr.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism plans to recruit 50 young Namibians into its anti-poaching unit as part of intensified efforts to protect threatened wildlife, including rhinos, elephants, and pangolins. The decision comes in the wake of significant poaching incidents recorded in 2024, which saw 83 cases of rhino poaching and nine elephant poaching incidents. Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, announced to Cabinet while presenting the ministry's 2025/2026 budget motivation.

SA has lost 103 rhino to poachers in the first three months of the year, environment minister Dion George disclosed on Monday. This equates to an average of 34.33 rhinos per month, aligned with the average monthly poaching rate of 35 rhinos over the 12 months before (420 rhinos annually). "This underscores the sustained pressure on our rhino populations and the urgent need for intensified efforts to combat the illegal activity," George said. SANParks recorded the highest number of losses with 65 rhinos poached.

Cape Town, South Africa - Poachers in South Africa killed more than 100 rhinos in the first three months of this year, most of them inside national parks, highlighting an ongoing battle to protect one of the best-known endangered species. South African Environment Minister Dion George announced the figures Monday and said that of the 103 rhinos killed between Jan. 1 and March 31, 65 were poached in national parks. The average of more than one rhino killed a day is in line with last year's count and "a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife," George said.

In the first three months of 2025, five provinces in South Africa lost 103 rhinos due to poaching, averaging at 34.33 rhinos per month. "The loss of 103 rhinos to poaching in the first three months of 2025 is a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife. Yet, the absence of poaching in four provinces shows that our targeted interventions are yielding results, and we must build on this progress," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Monday.

Rhinos are being killed for their horns in a poaching crisis that has stretched on for nearly two decades. In 2006, 60 rhinos were poached in Africa. Nine years later, the official figure leapt to a staggering 1,349 rhinos killed in 2015. More than 10,000 rhinos have been killed since the poaching crisis began. Today, rhino populations in South Africa and Namibia are bearing the brunt of rhino poaching.

Rhino poaching decreases in 2024, But we still don't have the full picture. South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) have released updated full year rhino poaching statistics for 2024, and while it is good to see an overall decline of roughly 15%, an increase in poaching in the latter part of the year means we are currently in the midst of the greatest poaching spike since 2019. 420 rhinos were killed by poachers across South Africa in 2024, 79 less than were lost in 2023.