Wildlife Crime Information Network

Wildlife Crime Information Network We share intelligence and work together to ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฃ wildlife crime and trafficking.

The key to the success of conservation management lies in the dedication of all people involved in the protection of South Africa's & Africa's natural assets and heritage. Welcome to WCIN - Wildlife Crime Information Network, we share โ€œreal timeโ€ crime information and intelligence with key role players in South Africa to STOP Wildlife Crime and Trafficking. We are working together with Law Enforce

ment and Government Agencies, Security Companies, Anti-Poaching units, Game Lodges, Reserves and the community to protect our Wildlife. The key to the success of conservation management lies in the dedication of all people involved in the protection of South Africa's natural assets and heritage.

๐—ช๐—›๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—˜ ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ ๐—ช๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐—ฆ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š, ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—–๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ข๐—™ ๐——๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—ก๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ, ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—— ๐—ช๐—”๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—œ๐—š๐—›๐—ง๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—Ÿ - The ongoing killing...
04/09/2026

๐—ช๐—›๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—˜ ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ ๐—ช๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐—ฆ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š, ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—–๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ข๐—™ ๐——๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—ก๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ, ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—— ๐—ช๐—”๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—œ๐—š๐—›๐—ง๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—Ÿ - The ongoing killing of aardvarks continues, a ripple effect far beyond the loss of a single animal and a troubling gap between legislation and enforcement.

Even though Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) are protected in South Africa under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) as a โ€œProtectedโ€ species, and are listed as โ€œSpecially Protectedโ€ in provinces such as Limpopo, they continue to be killed under the cover of darkness when their solitary behaviour makes them vulnerable and detection is unlikely.

As the only surviving member of the order Tubulidentata, the aardvark is completely unique, but they are killed in silence even though this elusive animal are protected on paper. There are NO other animals alive today that share its exact biological classification.

Without stronger monitoring, community awareness, and coordinated action against illegal hunting and trade, this unique species may face increasing local declines, largely out of sight, and out of public awareness.

This is the fate of South Africa's aardvarks, it is happening every night and they need protection now.

We urge the public to report any suspicious poaching activities, ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฆ๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ง โ˜Ž๏ธ

Report ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ Crimes via our ๐—›๐—ข๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜: Whatsapp or call: 079 643 9556 or email [email protected] (all information provided will be treated as confidential).

* If possible, try and provide WCIN with the
following info:

๐Ÿš™ Description of vehicle involved (colour, reg
nr, direction of travelling)
๐Ÿง๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ Description of person/s involved (clothes
wearing etc)
๐Ÿ“ท Photos or videos (if possible)
๐Ÿ“ Location of suspected poaching activities
(pin dropped)

We have a great responsibility as South Africans to protect our indigenous wildlife from abuse and to ensure they are sustained and kept for future generations and the sustainability of the species.

Let's take hands and work together to ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฃ Wildlife Crimes & Trafficking.




๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด: โš ๏ธ This post contains photos and information related to wildlife crime that some readers may find distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

๐Ÿ“ท: Photos for reference purposes.

02/09/2026

๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—š๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—ฃ๐—ฌ๐—ง๐—›๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ก๐—จ๐—˜๐—ฆ, ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—–๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—จ๐—ก๐—ก๐—˜๐—–๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฌ ๐—ฃ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ง๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฆ - There is NO excuse for cruelty - this is wildlife crime, this is exploitation and it is happening quietly everday.

The Southern African Python (Python natalensis) is listed as a protected species under South African law. Capturing, keeping, killing, or selling these animals without specialized permits is against the law. When you break the law you are a criminal.

We know to see these videos is always unpleasant, but it's a reality and an important reminder to us that the exploitation of wildlife are escalating and the manner, in which these animals are treated is cruel, the way they die is disheartening and a severe threat to our wildlife populations. Wildlife deserves compassion, protection and respect. As humans, we have a responsibility to protect the animals that cannot speak for themselves.

Familiarise yourself with the laws - The legal frameworks governing these crimes are structured as follows:

โžก Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), Act 10 of 2004 -

The Southern African Python is a nationally protected species listed under the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) regulations.

โžก Animals Protection Act, Act 71 of 1962 -

This act focuses on animal welfare rather than just conservation.

โžก Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinances

While NEMBA provides an overarching national law, individual provinces enforce their own strict wildlife regulations.

Public awareness and reporting of wildlife offences are essential to ensuring that wildlife receive the protection they deserve. If you know or suspect that someone is illegally killing, trapping or advertising indigenous wildlife for sale, ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฆ๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ง โ˜Ž

Report ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ Crime via our ๐—›๐—ข๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜: Whatsapp or call: 079 643 9556 or email [email protected] (all information provided will be treated as confidential).

* If possible, try and provide WCIN with the
following info:

๐Ÿš™ Description of vehicle involved (colour, reg
nr, direction of travelling)
๐Ÿง๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ Description of person/s involved (clothes
wearing etc)
๐Ÿ“ท Photos or videos (if possible)
๐Ÿ“ Location of suspected poaching activities
(pin dropped)
๐Ÿ“ฒ Advert (link to post/video or
screenshots)

We have a great responsibility as South Africans to protect our indigenous wildlife from abuse and to ensure they are sustained and kept for future generations and the sustainability of the species.

Let's take hands and work together to ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฃ Wildlife Crime & Trafficking.




๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด: โš ๏ธ This post contain's a video and information related to wildlife crime that some readers may find distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

๐—ข๐—ก๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐——๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—™๐—˜ ๐—”๐——๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐— ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—ฆ ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—ง๐—ช๐—ข ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—ก๐—— ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—–๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฌ ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฌ๐—ง๐—›๐—ข๐—ก - An intelligence-led operatio...
02/09/2026

๐—ข๐—ก๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐——๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—™๐—˜ ๐—”๐——๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐— ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—ฆ ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—ง๐—ช๐—ข ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—ก๐—— ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—–๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฌ ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฌ๐—ง๐—›๐—ข๐—ก - An intelligence-led operation targeting the illegal online trade in wildlife has resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a live Southern African Python in Delareyville.

The operation was conducted through a collaborative effort involving the Sannieshof Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit (STESU), the North West Dept of Economic Development, Environment Conservation & Tourism (DEDECT), and the Wildlife Crime Information Network (WCIN).

The operation followed information received about a person who allegedly advertised a live Southern African Python for sale at R5 000 on a private social media platform.

Following the verification and sharing of the information, the alleged seller was traced to Delareyville. Two suspects were subsequently found in town, and one of them was carrying a blue bag. A search of the bag led to the discovery and recovery of the live Southern African Python. The two suspects were arrested for allegedly being in possession of a protected wild animal without the required permits and conducting a restricted activity without the necessary authorisation, in contravention of Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004).

A case was registered at Delareyville Police Station, and the suspects appeared briefly before the Delareyville Magistratesโ€™ Court on Monday, 31 August 2026. They were released on warning, and the matter remains before the court. The Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Lieutenant General Arthur Adams stated that the African Police Service in the North West continues to work closely with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to combat wildlife crime.

"Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious activities involving the illegal possession, transportation or sale of protected wildlife to the police," said Lieutenant General Adams.

Source: South African Police Service
Enquiries: Colonel Anne Magakoe
082 856 0932
Date: 2 September 2026

๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—–๐—˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—จ๐—ก๐—–๐—› ๐— ๐—”๐—ก๐—›๐—จ๐—ก๐—ง ๐—”๐—™๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ฅ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐—จ๐—™๐—™๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—ข ๐—•๐—จ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—— ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—”๐—–๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก๐—–๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ž๐—ฅ๐—จ๐—š๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž - The po...
01/09/2026

๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—–๐—˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—จ๐—ก๐—–๐—› ๐— ๐—”๐—ก๐—›๐—จ๐—ก๐—ง ๐—”๐—™๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ฅ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐—จ๐—™๐—™๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—ข ๐—•๐—จ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—— ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—”๐—–๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก๐—–๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ž๐—ฅ๐—จ๐—š๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž - The police in Limpopo have launched a manhunt for unknown suspects following a suspected poaching incident in the Kruger National Park, within the Masisi policing area, Vhembe District.

The incident occurred on Sunday, 30 August 2026, at approximately 09:30 in the Tshikuyu Block of the Kruger National Park. According to the preliminary information, a complainant was conducting patrols in the park when he noticed a vulture flying overhead. He proceeded to the area to establish what had happened and discovered the head of a buffalo bull, pieces of buffalo skin and five different human footprints, as well as dog tracks. The complainant followed the footprints and dog tracks until they led towards the park's fence in the direction of Benndemutale village.

The estimated value of the buffalo bull is R300 000. A case of poaching has been opened at Masisi SAPS. The suspects are currently unknown, and no arrests have been made at this stage. The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, has condemned the incident and called for intensified efforts to combat wildlife crime. โ€œWildlife crime remains a serious concern, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners and communities to protect our wildlife resources. We appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident or the identity of the suspects to come forward and assist the police. Those involved must be brought to justice,โ€ said Lieutenant General Scheepers.

Members of the public with information that could assist in the investigation or lead to the arrest of the suspects are urged to contact the Investigating Officer Sergeant Mamedzi Azwianewi Robert on 071 612 1076 or the nearest police station.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or via the MySAPS App.
https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/ms.php

Source: South African Police Service
Date: 1 September 2026

๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿณ-๐—ฌ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ-๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐—•๐—ข๐—ง๐—ฆ๐—ช๐—”๐—ก๐—” ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—”๐—ก๐—— ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—œ๐— ๐— ๐—œ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—”๐—–๐—ง - The 27-yea...
30/08/2026

๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿณ-๐—ฌ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ-๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐—•๐—ข๐—ง๐—ฆ๐—ช๐—”๐—ก๐—” ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—”๐—ก๐—— ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—œ๐— ๐— ๐—œ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—”๐—–๐—ง - The 27-year-old Botswana citizen was remanded in police custody, following his arrest for possession of a Specially Protected Wild Animal (live pangolin) and contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.

It is alleged that on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, at about 19:30, members of the South African National Defence Force ( ) were conducting routine patrol duties along the Limpopo River, next to the Groblersbrug Border Post, when they spotted a male suspect crossing the river from Botswana into South Africa. They allegedly confronted the suspect and requested his passport, which he failed to produce. Upon searching his bag, they discovered a live pangolin classified as a Specially Protected Wild Animal. The suspect failed to provide a satisfactory explanation about the origin and possession of the protected species. He was immediately apprehended and handed over to Tom Burke Border Policing.

The 27-year-old male suspect, Tholego Gaebolae, a Botswana citizen, appeared before the Phalala Magistrateโ€™s Court on Friday, 28 August 2026, facing charges of possession of a Specially Protected Wild Animal and contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.

He was remanded in custody, and his case was postponed to 17 September 2026 for a formal bail application and further police investigations.

The Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, has commended the and SAPS for their vigilance and collaboration in protecting the countryโ€™s borders and endangered wildlife species.

Police investigations are continuing.

Source: South African Police Service
Date: 29 August 2026

29/08/2026

๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐——๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—™๐—˜ ๐—œ๐—ฆ ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ฆ ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—”๐—•๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—˜, ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฌ ๐——๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—•๐—˜๐—ง๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ - There is NO excuse for cruelty. Wildlife deserves compassion, protection and respect. As humans, we have a responsibility to protect the animals that cannot speak for themselves.

Sometimes we have no words to describe how we feel when videos like this are sent to the WCIN hotline. NO matter how many cases we investigate, how many incidents we document, seeing wildlife suffer at the hands of humans is never easy, especially when the cruelty is captured on camera. This is wildlife crime, this is exploitation and it is happening quietly.

To see these videos is always unpleasant, but it's a reality and an important reminder to us that the exploitation of wildlife are escalating and the manner, in which these animals are treated is cruel, the way they die is disheartening and a severe threat to our wildlife populations.

Public awareness and reporting of wildlife offences are essential to ensuring that wildlife receive the protection they deserve. If you know or suspect that someone is illegally killing, trapping or advertising indigenous wildlife for sale, ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฆ๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ง โ˜Ž

Report ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ Crime via our ๐—›๐—ข๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜: Whatsapp or call: 079 643 9556 or email [email protected] (all information provided will be treated as confidential).d
* If possible, try and provide WCIN with the
following info:

๐Ÿš™ Description of vehicle involved (colour, reg
nr, direction of travelling)
๐Ÿง๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ Description of person/s involved (clothes
wearing etc)
๐Ÿ“ท Photos or videos (if possible)
๐Ÿ“ Location of suspected poaching activities
(pin dropped)
๐Ÿ“ฒ Advert (link or screenshots)

We have a great responsibility as South Africans to protect our indigenous wildlife from abuse and to ensure they are sustained and kept for future generations and the sustainability of the species.

Let's take hands and work together to ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฃ Wildlife Crime & Trafficking.




๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด: โš ๏ธ This post contain a video and information related to wildlife crime that some readers may find distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

๐—™๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐——๐—˜๐—”๐—ง๐—› ๐—ข๐—™ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ ๐—”๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—–๐—”๐—ก ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐——๐—ข๐—š๐—ฆ - The Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DWNP) in collab...
27/08/2026

๐—™๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐——๐—˜๐—”๐—ง๐—› ๐—ข๐—™ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ ๐—”๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—–๐—”๐—ก ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐——๐—ข๐—š๐—ฆ - The Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DWNP) in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, have arrested four middle-aged male suspects over a suspected poisoning incident that led to the death of an entire breeding pack of 20 African Wild Dogs in NG30 area, about 10km away from Nxaraga.

Confirming the incident, North West Acting Regional Wildlife Coordinator, Thebeyakgosi Horatius stated that the breeding pack consisted of 10 adults and 10 puppies.

According to him, the carcasses were found on the 25th during the patrols by DWNP officers while the suspects were arrested yesterday and handed over Maun Police Station. He said that the wild dogs died after consuming meat laced with poison, suspected to have been embedded in wild dogsโ€™ burrows by the suspects.

Horatious explained that the preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was a deliberate act of malice, citing that the animals had neither damaged property nor targeted the suspects' livestock, effectively ruling out typical human-wildlife conflict.

Source: The Ngami Times
Date: 27 August 2026

๐—ง๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—”๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—•๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—”๐—–๐—–๐—ข๐—จ๐—ก๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐——๐—ข๐—š ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—ข๐—ž๐—”๐—ฉ๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข ๐——๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ง๐—” - A tourist, Don McCrady, has...
27/08/2026

๐—ง๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—”๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—•๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—”๐—–๐—–๐—ข๐—จ๐—ก๐—ง ๐—ข๐—™ ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—˜๐—— ๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐——๐—ข๐—š ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—ข๐—ž๐—”๐—ฉ๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข ๐——๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ง๐—” - A tourist, Don McCrady, has shared a heartbreaking account of the suspected poisoning of African wild dogs during a game drive in the Okavango Delta.

What was expected to be a breathtaking safari experience turned into a sombre encounter after McCrady and his group came across several dead wild dogs near their den. In a social media post, McCrady said that 14 African wild dogs were seen in the area the previous day, but none remained the following day. โ€œAfter losing some livestock to these endangered dogs, a farmer placed poisoned meat around their den,โ€ McCrady wrote. He said they found two adult wild dogs and several puppies dead at the scene. He also claimed that a kraal was already under construction nearby, suggesting a possible connection to livestock-wildlife conflict.

McCrady expressed concern not only about the loss of the endangered species but also about the potential impact of the poison on other wildlife that could feed on the carcasses. โ€œOur guides did all they could. They collected the remaining poisoned meat and safely stored it in plastic for disposal,โ€ he said.

He described the experience as a stark reminder of the difficult balance between protecting endangered wildlife and safeguarding farmersโ€™ livelihoods. โ€œWhile the sight of hippos and elephants lifted our spirits, this was a visceral reminder of the tension between a farmerโ€™s livelihood and the protection of endangered species,โ€ McCrady wrote.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over human-wildlife conflict in areas surrounding the Okavango Delta, where livestock owners and conservationists continue to face challenges in managing interactions between communities and wildlife.

Source: Nhabe Insight Press
Date: 27 August 2026

๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด: โš ๏ธ This post can contain images and information related to wildlife crime that some readers may find distressing.

Viewer discretion is advised.

๐—ง๐—›๐—”๐—œ ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—›๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ง ๐—˜๐—š๐—š๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—”๐—จ๐—Ÿ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ง๐—› ๐—”๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—–๐—” - South African customs officials arrested a Thai national tryi...
27/08/2026

๐—ง๐—›๐—”๐—œ ๐—ก๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ ๐—›๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—— ๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ง ๐—˜๐—š๐—š๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—”๐—จ๐—Ÿ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ง๐—› ๐—”๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—–๐—” - South African customs officials arrested a Thai national trying to smuggle 50 suspected endangered parrot eggs through OR Tambo International Airport, the environment ministry said on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old was arrested last week at the airport after officials found the eggs concealed inside a homemade incubator bag being carried as hand luggage, the ministry said in a statement. Preliminary investigations suggest the eggs belong to parrot species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the ministry said. If convicted, the suspect could face up to 10 years in prison or a R10-million fine or both.

The arrest follows a similar incident in July, when a 23-year-old Thai national was detained at the same airport with 418 parrot eggs.

"These arrests highlight the growing sophistication of transnational wildlife trafficking networks," the ministry said, adding that investigations in both cases were continuing.

Wildlife trafficking remains a major threat in South Africa, one of the world's most biodiverse countries. Crime syndicates target iconic species such as rhinos and elephants, but also lesserโ€‘known creatures including pangolins and reptiles, feeding a lucrative global black market.

Source: enca news
Date: 26 August 2026

๐Ÿ“ท: The seized parrot eggs - (photo: Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment).

๐Ÿฏ ๐—ช๐—›๐—œ๐—ง๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ฆ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—— ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ง๐—ง๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—”๐—–๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก๐—–๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฆ - Police are investigating whether two separate poaching incident...
26/08/2026

๐Ÿฏ ๐—ช๐—›๐—œ๐—ง๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ฆ ๐—ž๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—— ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ง๐—ง๐—˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—”๐—–๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก๐—–๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฆ - Police are investigating whether two separate poaching incidents on Gravelotte farms, four days apart, are connected after three rhinos were killed.

Three white rhinos have been killed and their horns removed in separate suspected poaching incidents on farms in the Gravelotte area, prompting an investigation by the policeโ€™s Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit. The incidents occurred on August 13 and 17 respectively. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that police are investigating both incidents.

Gunshots heard before carcasses found:

In the first incident, at approximately 17:00, security officers allegedly heard gunshots in the area. They immediately conducted an initial investigation, during which two white rhino carcasses were discovered. Both animals had been killed and their horns removed by the suspected poachers. Police are now working to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify those responsible for the attack.

Four days later, another rhino was found dead:

Security personnel at the farm discovered the carcass of the rhino, and as in the first incident, the horn had been removed. The recovery of r***e projectiles from both scenes forms an important part of the ongoing investigation as police seek to establish whether the incidents are connected, and whether the same individuals or group may be responsible.

Concerns over poaching syndicates:

The two incidents have raised renewed concerns over the threat posed by rhino poaching in the area, where criminal syndicates continue to target the valuable horns of these endangered animals, police said. Ledwaba said investigations are continuing and police are appealing to members of the public to assist in bringing those responsible to justice.

Anyone with information that may assist the police in identifying the suspects or establishing the circumstances surrounding these incidents is urged to come forward,โ€ said Ledwaba. He urged anyone with information to contact Lieutenant Colonel Pieter Meyer on 082 319 9460.

Role of farm security highlighted:

The killings also highlight the critical role played by farm security personnel and law enforcement in detecting and responding to wildlife crimes.

Police have not disclosed whether any suspects have been identified or whether the recovered projectiles have been linked to a specific fi***rm.

Source: citizen.co.za/lethaba herald - by Anwen Mojela
Date: 26 August 2026

๐Ÿ“ท: Photo for illustration purposes only - (photo: AFP/Getty).

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