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(CNN) – Suspected poachers sneaked into a South African game reserve to hunt rhinos, but a pride of lions found them instead.
A guide to the Sibuya Reserve spotted what appeared to be human remains on Tuesday the group of lions, according to reserve owner Nick Fox. As it was too dark to search the area, the police returned the next day with the anti-poaching unit of the reserve and other specialists
. The remains were scattered over an area covered with thick brush. Fox says that it was impossible to know how many people had been killed.
Investigators found three pairs of boots and three pairs of gloves. They also found a high-powered rifle with a silencer, cutting pliers and an ax that, according to Fox, would have been used to remove the horns of a killed rhinoceros.
"We are almost 100% sure that this is linked to poaching rhinos." Fox said. The six lions in pride were tranquilized while the area was searched.
"The investigators and specialists examined the scene and managed to recover the remains, which were taken by the Ministry of Health to carry out forensic tests." Mali Govender said in a statement. 39; investigation continues and at this point we are unable to speculate on how the remains have ended up on the scene. "
Fox said that he thinks the poachers arrived on the reserve Sunday night or early Monday morning.An anti-poacher dog reported that he had noticed something during a patrol around 4:30 in the morning and that his master had heard a hustle and bustle of lions.Lions are often active at night, so the sound did not raise suspicions.
"The anti-poaching unit never suspected anything wrong because it was the lions that were doing the noise and not the rhinoceros. "They had a rifle, but they did not shoot it before lions do not remove them.
"It was a little luck for us and not so lucky for them," he said.
The poachers were apparently on foot when they encountered the lions, which is very dangerous. Fox says that reserve staff and guests never go near lions unless they're in big trucks.
He says they closely monitor the lions and that they show no signs of aggression around the vehicles. are prized for their horns. In 2016, poachers killed three rhinoceroses at Sibuya reserve and cut their horns
Fox said security was increased in the 25-square-kilometer Kenton on Sea reserve and more cameras were installed to monitor rhinos. The-CNN-Wire ™ and © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
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