N$160 000 reward offered in Hardap rhino poaching case

A reward of N$160 000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the poachers who killed a white rhino cow on a farm in the Hardap Region, leaving her calf orphaned.


The rhino was found with the horn removed. According to the farm owner, whose identity is being withheld for safety and security reasons, the poaching is believed to have occurred last weekend while the family was away.


He explained that it was common knowledge that the farm would be unmanned on Saturday and Sunday. “We suspect that the cow was poached on Sunday during the day because the calf would not have survived for that long,” he said. The carcass was discovered on Monday morning, and the calf was found on Tuesday after a search was launched. The farm owner contributed N$100 000 towards the reward, while members of the public supporting rhino conservation added a further N$60 000.


Catch the poachers - An appeal was launched last week calling on the public to assist in the investigation. “We are calling on your help to bring the perpetrators of this terrible crime to justice. A reward of N$160 000 is being offered for information that leads directly to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for poaching a white rhino cow in the Hardap region,” the statement read. The appeal emphasised that all information provided would be treated in strict confidence. "We are committed to ensuring the safety and confidentiality of anyone who comes forward with helpful information." Namibian Police Deputy Commissioner Barry de Klerk, head of the Blue Rhino Task Force, visited the scene on Saturday and confirmed that investigations are ongoing. No further information was available at the time of going to print.


Rise in poaching - In February, Namibian Sun reported that Namibia experienced one of its worst years for rhino poaching in over a decade last year, with 81 rhinos illegally killed. Authorities arrested 77 suspects in connection with rhino-related crimes, 73 of whom were Namibian nationals. Officials confirmed that the country’s poaching crisis peaked in 2015, when 97 rhinos were killed. This was followed by 84 cases in 2018 and 94 in 2022. Namibian Sun was unable to establish the poaching figures for 2025, which have not yet been made public.