Protected birds: Court raps environment ministry over the knuckles

The High Court has ordered the environment ministry that it may not remove protected bird species under the care of the Rare and Endangered Species Trust (REST) while a court case on the matter is pending.This after the N/a’ankusê Foundation on Tuesday approached the court on an urgent basis to seek an order to stop the ministry from removing and relocating several endangered birds and an egg.REST recently closed down and left the birds in N/a’ankusê’s care.The matter was postponed to 11 August for a status hearing at the SADC Court after an official from the Government Attorney’s office - on behalf of the ministry - opposed the application and requested a postponement to consider the application and file answering papers.The ministry has until Monday, 25 July, to file notice of intention to oppose.According to N/a’ankusê, the birds that were the subject of the urgent application comprise of a breeding pair of Cape griffon vultures, two tawny eagles, a bateleur eagle, one African hawk eagle, one giant eagle owl and one spotted eagle owl.The Cape griffon vulture is the most endangered species in Namibia and those currently at N/a’ankusê are the only breeding pair in captivity in the country, the foundation said.“The pair has entered their breeding season and the female has laid her second and final egg for this breeding season.“The survival of the egg, and ultimately the chick, is vital to world conservation of this species. The egg is extremely fragile and must therefore be handled and transported by persons with sufficient knowledge and experience to ensure its safeguarding,” it said.How we got hereN/a’ankusê said neither it nor REST believes the ministry has the necessary skill and expertise to successfully transport and relocate the birds.In a statement, the trust said it recently decided to close down its operations in Namibia due to the “continuous administrative stifling and harassment by the ministry, in that the ministry refused to provide it with the required permits to continue its conservation efforts”.According to the foundation, on 12 April, it applied for a permit to transport the birds from REST to the N/a’ankusê Wildlife Sanctuary, but the ministry did not respond to the application or provide a final decision.It was then informed by REST on 14 July that the ministry would collect and remove the birds on Tuesday.“The fate of the birds is cloaked in secrecy. The ministry failed to respond to N/a’ankusê and REST’s reasonable requests for information pertaining to how the animals will be transported, where and under which circumstances they will be relocated – if they will be relocated at all and not simply euthanised by ministry.“This is contrary to the transparent actions which is required of a reasonable administrative body.”In a letter to the ministry, REST founder Maria Diekmann said “it is not within the purview [of the ministry] to prescribe to me how I should exercise my rights as the owner of my birds”.

Protected birds: Court raps environment ministry over the knuckles

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Protected birds: Court raps environment ministry over the knuckles

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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