Staff Wrter
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has noted that since strengthening its wildlife protection strategies in National Parks, poaching has decreased there.
However, spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said that poachers appears to have shifted their focus to custodianship farms and private farms with white rhinos.
“To date we have a recorded 33 rhinos poached in Namibia, 24 black rhinos and 9 white rhinos. This year’s poaching cases include nine (9) rhinos poached in custodianship farms, another 9 on private farms and 15 in the Etosha National Park.
Namibia has recorded 44 rhinos poached in 2021, 42 in 2020, 57 in 2019, and 83 in 2018 and 55 in 2017, he said.
According to the ministry the rhino poaching situation in the country is dynamic, visibly this fight is far from over, but they remain committed in ensuring that poaching of rhinos is significantly reduced if not completely stopped.
“In order to strengthen rhino security and prevent further poaching, the Ministry with its stakeholders is implementing strategies used in our national parks in custodianship farms and private farms respectively. This includes, increased ground patrols, aerial patrols (using helicopter) establishment or strengthening of existing of Anti-Poaching Units, inclusion of MEFT and law enforcement agencies in intelligence gathering and law enforcement activities,” he said.
The Ministry is however happy that elephant poaching remains relatively low with only two elephants poached this year. Elephant poaching has been steadily declining over the last five years from 50 elephants poached in 2017, 27 in 2018, 13 in 2019, 12 in 2020 and 8 in 2021.
