FILE PHOTO: A ranger walks behind a pair of black rhinoceros at the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation Park near Marondera, east of the capital Harare, September 22, 2014. The population of the species has dwindled due to poaching activities. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

By: Hertha Ekandjo

 

Despite boasting a healthy population of wildlife species and a reputable conservation effort globally, Namibia has suffered the loss of 631 rhinos to poaching over the last decade.

Recent poaching statistics reveal a troubling trend: 97 rhinos were poached in 2015, followed by 66 in 2016, 55 in 2017, 84 in 2018, 61 in 2019, 48 in 2020, 53 in 2021, 92 in 2022, 67 in 2023, and 8 in 2024 to date.

Additionally, Namibia recorded 10 elephants poached in 2021, four in 2022, eight in 2023, and, fortunately, none so far in 2024.

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