Rhino poaching increases in Namibia in first quarter of 2024

Conservationists in Namibia have accused local wildlife officials of concealing the true extent of rhino poaching in Etosha National Park, home to the largest black rhino population in the world. The Department of Environment recently admitted that rhino hunting in the park quadrupled in the first quarter of 2024.

Police in Namibia on Sunday arrested two suspects who killed an adult female black rhino and a medium-sized male black rhino calf at a waterhole in the park earlier in the day. The pair were found in possession of four rhino horns estimated to be worth $55,000.

Rhino poaching has increased dramatically in the park, with 28 rhinos killed in the first three months of this year and seven rhinos killed in 2023.

Environmental activist and journalist John Grobler attributed the increase in part to security lapses by law enforcement officials during the three-week mourning period following the death of Namibia’s president.

But Grobler suspects officials still haven’t disclosed the full extent of rhino poaching.

“They still refuse to show us the rhino horn inventory to show if everything is there, if all the tusks are there,” he said. “When you ask them questions like this, they tend to sit back and sit back for as long as possible before making any disclosures. I’m worried it might actually be worse than 28 rhinos, and it might even be more than that.”

A large number of rhino carcasses were discovered during the annual dehorning exercise in March. Media are usually invited but not this year, further fueling concerns that police do not want the public to understand the true extent of rhino poaching in the area.

Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said he could not verify or deny the extent of rhino poaching in Etosha National Park and referred all queries to newly appointed Etosha police commander Theopolina Nashikaku.

Nashikaku also declined to comment on the extent of poaching in the park.

“What I know is that the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, through his department spokesperson, announced the number of rhinos found during the dehorning exercise,” Nasikaku said. “The department has enough scientists with the ability to determine how long this animal has been dead. Maybe now let me focus on my mission.”

Rhinos are critically endangered and Namibian authorities have previously said disclosing their numbers in national parks would only harm them.

The idea has been rejected by some conservationists, who say organized poachers are so sophisticated that they already know about rhino numbers, estimated at 6,000 black and 15,000 white rhinos worldwide.

Ministry of Environment spokesman Romeo Muyunda said the plight of Namibia’s rhino population was a top priority.

“Based on the urgency of the situation, the ministry is conducting an assessment to determine the full extent of the problem, and based on this urgency we are calling for an urgent meeting with the security services, including the police and defense forces [Namibian Defence Force] Make sure we dissect the matter and come up with possible interventions,” Muyunda said.

In addition to arresting two men on Sunday, Namibian police are asking for help from the community to identify and arrest more rhino poaching suspects.