Poaching remains a problem in Namibia

It is not just the stock theft figures for 2013 that are staggering, but the poaching of wildlife is just as worrisome and one beleaguered farmer from Omaruru can vouch for that. Adrian Lang of Okapekaha last month alone lost more than 30 animals that were trapped in snares and hacked to pieces for their meat. It was last month too when the gruesome poacher bush veld abattoirs were discovered in remote areas of the farm. Lang, over the past weekend, however, made even more gruesome discoveries of poaching on his farm. While he and the police special task force were trying to clean up the farm of the snares, an eland cow, probably with calf considering the animal’s swollen udder, was found. “It looked like it was killed by poachers with dogs, assegais and knives. They took only the front and back quarters. They cut the border fence next to railway road from where the meat was loaded on to a vehicle,” said Lang, asking: “Will this cruelty ever stop?” According to statistics provided by the police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, between January and December last year 267 cases of poaching were reported. For this year, from January to September, 281 cases have been recorded. Therefore, there has been an increase. In monetary terms for 2013 alone, Lang has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to poachers. Besides dealing with that, he is also awaiting judgment on an appeal he made in the Windhoek High Court. He appealed against a five-year imprisonment sentence imposed on him on a charge of culpable homicide at the end of his trial in the Swakopmund Regional Court on 15 April this year. Besides the poaching on Lang’s farm, remains of zebra near the truck road to Rooibank near Walvis Bay have also suggested that poaching is also rife in Dorob and Namib-Naukluft national parks. “One can clearly see that the zebras have been cleverly slaughtered. All their legs have been cut-off and thrown in the sand near the road with skin and what looks like flesh,” a resident informed The Namibian last week. The resident also said remains of animals apparently poached were also thrown into the reeds near the harbour town’s water works and ‘bird paradise’. “When the municipality, once in a while, burns up the reed, evidence of poached animals is burnt along with it,” he explained. “We have no idea how many animals have been poached.” Kanguatjivi said last week that 7 971 cattle and small livestock have been reported stolen so far this year. They are estimated at N$22,5 million based on average commercial value. The police have made 776 arrests in connection with these reported incidents and 1 274 charges related to stock theft opened. Only 1 935 of the stolen cattle have been recovered (alive or as meat), which gives a recovery rate of about 25%. The Namibian is still awaiting figures from Kanguatjivi for poaching during 2013.