Poacher killed by herd of elephants as he fled from rangers in South Africa

South African National Parks (SANParks) reported the death on Sunday of an alleged poacher who was trampled by a herd of elephants when he was trying to escape from Kruger National Park so as not to be caught by the rangers.

According to SANParks authorities, the hunter was not alone, but was fleeing with a group of ranger accomplices, when they encountered the herd of mating elephants.

Kruger National Park spokesman Isaac Phaahla said rangers were on a routine patrol in the Phabeni area when they spotted the inbound trails they were following.

“The rangers saw three individuals and tried to flee, but the rangers called for reinforcements from the air wing and the K9 unit. When they realized they had been seen, the suspected poachers threw in an ax and a bag with their supplies in an attempt to escape the rangers, “ Said Phaahla.

Phaahla explained that one of the suspects was arrested after receiving help from the Air Wing and K9 units.

“The suspect informed the rangers that the group had encountered a herd of elephants and were not sure his accomplice had managed to escape,” the officer said.

Later, the rangers discovered their accomplice, who was severely trampled and seriously injured this ultimately caused his death.

“The third suspect is said to have suffered eye injuries, but continued to flee“, He said.

Phaahla said a rifle was found and the case was referred to police who, along with the pathology team, attended the scene.

KNP CEO Gareth Coleman asked community members living near the area to help him with the information.

“The campaign against poaching is everyone’s responsibility. It threatens many livelihoods, destroys families and requires much needed crime-fighting resources that could be used to create jobs and development ”, Coleman said.

Authorities are still on the trail of the third suspect they hope to catch soon.

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