Helge Denker is a Namibian writer, artist and naturalist. He has worked in various sectors within the Namibian tourism and environmental spheres for the past three decades. He compiles information on conservation and the environment for diverse applications and publishes regular articles on environmental issues.
Wildlife crime in Namibia is being tackled on many fronts. More anti-poaching efforts, better investigations and more stringent penalties are bearing fruit by reducing poaching rates and increasing arrests. Special wildlife courts were set up to deal with the large backlogs in cases involving wildlife crime. The sentences passed by these courts have sent a strong message: wildlife crime in Namibia does not pay.
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When a desert-adapted lion attacks Helge Denker in his tent near Brandberg, it sets him thinking about the complex situation these lions find themselves in today. Lions are coming ever closer to human settlements after the recent drought followed by scattered rainfall that dispersed their few remaining prey. Communal conservancies bear the brunt of the resulting conflict, but is there a way to create real benefits from these lions? Managing the situation will be difficult, but today we have better knowledge and systems in place to handle it.
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In light of the conspiracy theories swirling around the COVID-19 pandemic, Helge Denker asks why science - from zoonotic diseases to conservation research, amongst others - is often doubted while hoaxes are so easily believed. Are we victims of the Dunning-Kruger effect, treating correlation as causation, or just biased for one reason or another?
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Namibia’s response to increasing wildlife crime is bearing fruit, particularly since the inception of the Blue Rhino Task Team. Helge Denker shares key statistics and initiatives that reveal how Blue Rhino are tackling poaching of rhinos, elephants and pangolins.
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