Thursday November 25, 2010
Local News

Serengeti hunters still missing, says Mara RPC



From MUGINI JACOB in Tarime, 24th November 2010 @ 12:00,

THE whereabouts of six people who went missing while hunting in the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) in the past several days is still not known.

But there are unconfirmed reports that the men all hailing from Gibasso village that is adjacent to the park might have been eaten by crocodiles.

''The search is still going on them and we can't say that they have been killed unless we see dead bodies'', Regional Police Commander (RPC) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Constantine Masawe told the 'Daily News' on Wednesday.

He named them as Chacha Marwa Gasaya, Wang'enyi Marwa Mohere, Marwa Moseti Goyagwe, Tore Magoigwa Chiware, Marwa Sira Sira who went missing on October 31 and Mwita Marwa Makuri who went missing on October 6, according to ACP Masawe.

The RPC refuted recent reports that the alleged poachers had gone to graze cows in the park.

''It is not true that they went to graze cows, they went to hunt wild animals according survivors,'' ACP Masawe said.

Police in Tarime have until Wednesday been looking for the men in collaboration with their counterparts in the neighbouring Kenya, the RPC said. He described the exercise as tough without going into details.

He however warned villagers residing near the world famous park to refrain from entering the park to kill animals for the purpose of getting game meat.

''I call upon people to respect the borders. There are dangerous animals there (park) and anything can happen'', the regional police chief said.

Local leaders have accused relevant authorities for not doing enough to find out whether the men have been killed or not. Tarime District Commissioner (DC) Mr John Henjewele could not immediately be reached for comment.

Poaching is still one of the major challenges facing conservation of in SENAPA and majority of poachers hail from Serengeti and Tarime districts followed by other districts with some villages adjacent to the park, according the park officials.

Perhaps they were seeking a Thanksgiving turkey.

Or perhaps the crocs were doing the same.