http://allafrica.com/stories/201203050322.html


Zimbabwe: Poachers Gunned Down in Shootout
5 March 2012


TWO poachers were shot dead while another one was injured in a shootout with game rangers in Mkanga Safari Area in eastern Zambezi Valley last week.

The rangers recovered an elephant tusk, a .303 Lee-Enfield rifle, seven rounds of ammunition, food and clothes.

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority regional manager Mr Tawanda Gotosa confirmed the incident, which occurred last Sunday.

"We received a report that four gunshots were heard in the morning of a heavy calibre at around 7am at Kachowe area," said Mr Gotosa.

"Our rangers responded and exchanged fire with the poachers and they shot and killed two and wounded another."

He said there were no casualties among the rangers.

Mr Gotosa said the poachers had no identification particulars on them and their bodies were taken to Karoi Hospital mortuary.

The incident, said Mr Gotosa, should send a serious warning to would-be poachers.

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya Moyo said any illegal entry into Parks' estates for the purposes of poaching could be deadly.

She said the authority did not tolerate corruption.

Last year it fired two workers over poaching.

"Like any other institution, the authority has bad apples, but will remain alive and alert to any such issues.

"Last year we dismissed two employees over Impala poaching," she said.

This sounds like the same incident I heard about this morning. They said one wounded guy got away. They tracked him the next day and he had been killed and eaten by a Lion.

Good job to the rangers this time around. Also plus one to the lion. I know those of you who were around for the poaching wars dont necessarily agree with me. It is IMO time to go to war again. Things have escalated to the point that there is no other choice I see. The problem as in the past is that it is always the low level schmucks who get nabbed or killed. The kingpins never seem to get nabbed. This is especially true when they are the most educated, wealthy, and connected. When the corruption reaches all the way to the very top of the government it is hard to combat it. The only way in my mind is make the risk so high that no one is willing to take it.

Sorry to hear that they wounded the third poacher. Happy to hear that the lion finished the job!

Hope the lion doesn't contract HIV or Hep. C.


Dutch

quote:

Originally posted by McKay:
This sounds like the same incident I heard about this morning. They said one wounded guy got away. They tracked him the next day and he had been killed and eaten by a Lion.

More likely to have died of copper/lead poisoning and eaten by hyenas.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201203060012.html


Kenya: Two KWS Rangers Killed By Poachers in Taita
By Raphael Mwadime, 5 March 2012


The Kenya Wildlife Services officers in Voi are in hot pursuit of an armed gang of suspected poachers who killed two rangers on patrol in a private ranch in Taita on Friday. The rangers were on a normal patrol in Sagalla ranch when they encountered the six armed men who shot them dead.

Cases of poaching are rampnat in the private ranches bordering the Tsavo National Park with unconfirmed reports indicating that some 30 elephants have been killed in Taita ranches in the last seven months.

The rangers killed were a man and an expectant woman. They were with the David Sheldrick desnaring team in the private ranch when they were ambushed. The David Sheldrick game scouts who were not armed, were not attacked by the suspects who are suspected to be shiftas. "The shiftas thought that the armed KWS officers were pursuing them and thus they shot them dead and left the four unarmed men," said a source.

Sources told the Star that the gangsters also made away with two firearms and several rounds of ammunition belonging to the two KWS rangers who were murder. No arrest has been made so far although there are reports that the suspects are of Somali origin thus raising concerns over security in the region among the local residents.

Cases of poaching are on the increase in the private ranches bordering the Tsavo National park and wildlife conservationists from the region have called on the KWS to increase security in the private ranches to protect the endangered elephant species. A week ago, two elephants were killed at Lwalenyi ranch in Mwatate district and the tusks removed by the poachers although KWS confirmed that they managed to recover tusks of one elephant hidden within the private ranch.

Senior warden in charge of the Tsavo East National park, Dominik Wambua confirmed that the two had been killed by the bandits but refused to comment on the lost firearms. "What I can tell you is that the rangers were killed but concerning the firearms is not important for you as at the moment since the matter is subject to investigations," said the warden.

He said that a contingent of Anti Poaching Unit personnel from KWS were on the ground pursuing the suspects. Wambua however, said that they suspect the same gang is involved in the killing of the two elephants in Lwalenyi ranch a week ago. "The Somali grazers in this area are armed and we suspect they could be behind this although we are still investigating the matter," he said. The deceased bodies were taken to the Moi hospital mortuary in Voi pending a postmortem examination.