Three poachers killed in Tsavo park
Written By:KNA , Posted: Sun, Mar 14, 2010


Three suspected poachers from a neighbouring country were gunned down by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) game rangers from Taita-Taveta as the war on poaching activities is intensified in the sprawling Tsavo National Park.

The district police boss Herbert Khaemba, confirmed the Saturday night incident and said the poachers, suspected to be Tanzanian nationals, were shot dead at Kuranze area, Kasigahu location in Tsavo West National Park.

The killings comes barely a week after KWS personnel arrested another poacher and recovered two rifles and three rounds of ammunition at Galana Ranch in the Southern part of Tsavo East National Park in the on-going onslaught on poaching activities in the area.

Khaemba said the rangers on patrol challenged the poachers to surrender but they started shooting at them (rangers) who, in turn, shot back killing three of the poachers.

The Tsavo West National Park Senior Warden, Mr. Donald Woodley, said the poachers were killed after a heavy exchange of fire between them and the rangers.

Woodley said one suspected poacher, however, escaped adding that KWS personnel were looking for him.

He said the dead were among a gang of four armed poachers that had been roaming the park and killing elephants.

The warden said by the time the poachers were killed, they had already felled three jumbos.

"We had earlier discovered three elephant carcasses without ivory and we highly suspect the gang was behind the killing," he added.

Woodley said KWS personnel would not relent in the fight against poaching adding that surveillance patrols had been stepped up in the conservancy to stamp out the poaching menace.

The warden said the lucrative ivory trade was responsible for the increase in poaching activities in the country with poachers targeting elephants and rhinos.

So far the poachers have killed two rhinos and several elephants from the expansive ecosystem over the past one month.

"The crackdown will continue until we rid the park of poachers who have been engaging in wanton killing of endangered animal species," said Woodley.

The warden said the park had been hit by a series of poaching activities that is partly fueled by bush meat trade and appealed to the local community to assist the wildlife conservation body to arrest the worrying situation.

This happen near a small village named mikuki. The village is know for being a center for Ivory poachers.As well as just about anyother illegal activity you can think of.I would assume these guys got big enough for the locals to get jealous or they did not pay the bribes needed to stay in business.