2024
Official WildVeld Statement
WildVeld Safaris (PTY) LTD
For Immediate Release
30 June 2025
False Accusations Retracted: Conservation Work Disrupted, Decade of Progress Undone Namibian conservationist vindicated following retraction of damaging false claims related to a lawful problem animal control operation
Windhoek, Namibia — In December 2023, Mark Misner of WildVeld Safaris Pty Ltd was falsely accused of a serious crime—one that carries the potential for severe financial penalties and significant jail time. These unfounded allegations were made by Mr. Isak Smit of Desert Lions Human Relations Aid Namibia.
After months of legal proceedings, Mr. Isak Smit has formally retracted and acknowledged that his accusations concerning the problem lion cull of 10 October 2023 were false. His claims—widely circulated online—wrongfully implicated an independent conservation organization and its leadership. Though the truth has now been established, the damage caused by the false allegations has been significant and far-reaching.
“By the time Mr. Smit corrected the record, it was too late,” a spokesperson said. “Community-based conservation programs were disrupted. Jobs were lost. Critical initiatives—including anti-poaching patrols and human-wildlife conflict mitigation—were derailed. More than a decade of conservation progress has been set back, and millions of dollars in long-term investment have been put at risk.”
Statement of Fact
Neither the conservationist in question, their organization, nor any staff or affiliate was involved in, informed of, or present during the problem animal cull in question. No coordination, cooperation, or collusion occurred with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), and no benefit—direct or indirect—was received from this or any other hunting activity in Namibia.
A comprehensive review of the available evidence—including the problem animal permit, 58 pages of legal discovery, and multiple eyewitness interviews—confirmed that the cull was conducted lawfully and in full accordance with Namibia’s Nature Conservation Ordinance and National Policy
on Human-Wildlife Conflict Management. No evidence was found to dispute the accuracy or integrity of the MEFT press release issued on 18 October 2023.
Looking Ahead
The organization remains fully committed to supporting individuals, communities, NGOs, and government agencies working to safeguard Namibia’s wildlife heritage.
However, it warns that “public accusations and social media-driven attacks are counterproductive and threaten the very mission of conservation.”
Rural communities—often the first to suffer when human-wildlife conflict occurs—are too often overlooked or unfairly criticized. “These communities are the unsung heroes of Namibia’s conservation success. Their resilience, commitment, and sacrifices deserve recognition, respect, and unwavering support.”
Coexistence with wildlife brings real costs: damaged infrastructure, lost crops, killed livestock, and threats to human safety. MEFT and conservation partners work tirelessly to mitigate these challenges. Yet, when other measures fail, problem animal culls become necessary as a last resort. Without such lawful interventions, indiscriminate and unregulated retaliation may occur—endangering both people and wildlife.
“We understand that some view any loss of wildlife as unacceptable,” the statement continues. “But effective conservation demands a realistic and balanced approach. Targeted culling, under strict regulation and only when absolutely necessary, is part of responsible wildlife management.”
Call for Unity
The organization urges all stakeholders to focus on the real- world challenges Namibia faces today. Thanks to the vision of Namibia’s founders and the tireless, often thankless work of MEFT, the country stands as a global model for community-led conservation.
“We should take pride in this legacy and stand together in protecting and strengthening it—so that others may look to Namibia as a blueprint for sustainable, inclusive conservation that benefits both people and wildlife.”
For more information you may Contact:
WildVeld Safaris Pty Ltd
Chris Mueller
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
On or about October 12, 2023, Mr. Isak Smit of the Voluntary Association Desert Lions Human Relations Aid (DeLHRA) released a document (see Allegations) making frivolous and malicious claims that WildVeld Safaris of Namibia, in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT), engaged in an illegal hunt resulting in the culling of a collared lion. Not only is this allegation incorrect, but it has also caused great harm to an innocent organization, its employees, and the Namibian conservancies named in Mr. Smit’s reckless document.
To correct Mr. Smit’s wild accusations, WildVeld Safaris is a not-for-profit management company working with numerous conservancies in the Kunene Region. Our mission is to assist in the management of sustainable hunting leases for the benefit of our community partners. We help manage the rightful and legal hunting leases with the government. Additionally, WildVeld Safaris funds and manages a community-based game guard program within our partner communities to reduce illegal poaching and Human-Wildlife Conflict events. To date, we have invested more than N$7.5 million in that effort.
For clarification, we are a management company only. Accordingly, WildVeld Safaris does not conduct hunting activities whatsoever. We do not market or sell hunts to Namibian or foreign clients, we do not collect or handle client payments for hunts, or work or participate with MEFT personnel to cull wildlife. To this point, our personnel were not involved in any way in a MEFT culling hunt, regardless of Mr. Smit’s claims.
Of course, we could have explained all this if only Mr. Smit had bothered to contact us. But instead, he chose to push a false report without validating any facts. We can only surmise that this was intended as a fundraising scheme and to maximize the negative impact on our organization and our partner conservancies. This is not the first time activists have fabricated news for financial gain. Regardless of the motivation, Mr. Smit acted in an unprofessional and negligent manner.
On October 18, 2023, MEFT released a public announcement denouncing Mr. Smit’s story, yet he continued his efforts to disparage our company and damage the reputation of MEFT and Namibia’s rual communities. Mr. Smit and those who have broadcast and passed judgment have done nothing to promote wildlife conservation efforts in Namibia. Instead of celebrating the NGOs, conservancies, and MEFT in their tireless efforts to protect and sustain Namibia’s valuable and vulnerable wildlife, Mr. Smit decided to launch an ill-conceived attack using social media. The damage Mr. Smit and his organization have caused is incalcuable at this point in time.
Therefore, we call upon Mr. Smit, his associates, and social media outlets to immediately cease and desist from perpetuating this false story. We also call for Mr. Smit, his associates, and participants to cease and desist from implicating WildVeld Safaris, its employees, and partner conservancies in the MEFT Human-Wildlife Conflict culling hunt. Finally, we demand that Mr. Smit and all media outlets issue an immediate retraction and public apology for his reckless claims.
In closing, while we all pray for Namibia’s wildlife to thrive, launching social media attacks without the facts is careless and counterproductive. We hope that the next steps taken will lessen the damage that Mr. Smit and his organization have caused and restore the reputations of those whom he needlessly attacked.
For more information regarding this matter, please contact Mr. Romeo Muyunda, the Chief Public Relations Officer at MEFT.
WildVeld Safaris (PTY) LTD • Klein Windhoek • Namibia
WildVeldSafarisNamibia.com • [email protected]