To the family and friends of ANDRE DE KOCK,

It is with regret and shock that all the members of the Professional Hunters Association of Zambia took note of the tragic loss of not only a pass member of our organization but also a well respected and loved citizen of this country.

On behalf of the Professional Hunters Association of Zambia we are extending our deepest sympathy.

“Your loss will be mourned and your name will be remembered forever”.

Yours sincerely,



Phil C. Minnaar
Chairman
PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA
prohunterszambia@gmail.com
+ 2609 7771 2303
www.phazambia.com
P.O.Box 50146
Lusaka,
Zambia

I am just wondering if any of the PH`s have any sympathy to go up to Maswa and look for these guys, i am sure if they combine forces thay can find these people. its just about volunteering guys, if any of the ph`s are awake, its not too long those guys might be still in maswa.just flush Maswa out. 3 companies out there and can do that...
just feel sorry for Bwanamich`s coments.

More enraging is the fact that most likely the perpetrators will not be found and will continue with their gruesome business without losing a night's sleep. FUCKERS!

sorry guys one can think that if he is a true hunter.

As anyone who has hunted TZ knows, poaching is a problem and the gov't does essentially nothing to prevent it.

The safari operators operate anti-poaching teams, which I am sure helps.

Poachers usually avoid hunting parties---for obvious reasons.

As many of you know, the hunting season has just been extended to March 31st. I have to wonder if the poachers just assumed the area to be empty and didn't expect any hunters to be operating. Being surprised by Andre's car, they opened fire.

Just my theory. It certainly doesn't diminish the crime or the tragedy.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnDL:
As anyone who has hunted TZ knows, poaching is a problem and the gov't does essentially nothing to prevent it.

The safari operators operate anti-poaching teams, which I am sure helps.

Poachers usually avoid hunting parties---for obvious reasons.

As many of you know, the hunting season has just been extended to March 31st. I have to wonder if the poachers just assumed the area to be empty and didn't expect any hunters to be operating. Being surprised by Andre's car, they opened fire.

Just my theory. It certainly doesn't diminish the crime or the tragedy.

I just can't imagine that poachers did not hear the car coming for quite some time...at least enough to get away if they did not want to fight.

quote:

Originally posted by mambatz:
I am just wondering if any of the PH`s have any sympathy to go up to Maswa and look for these guys, i am sure if they combine forces thay can find these people. its just about volunteering guys

I thought the same thing. But, I'm not sure it is just a matter of volunteers. Maswa is on one side of the road and the Serengeti National Park is on the other.

A coordinated effort with the wildlife department may be possible, but perhaps not.

Look at what happend to Rick Hopcraft. He was not allowed to carry a firearm when pointing out where the wounded buffalo was to the kenya wildlife service. Then the KWS guys ran around like the "F'n" three stooges while the buffalo killed him.

As I said earlier, if RHS pushed this hard, there may be some action by the tanzania government. I am sure the police have started to follow up on it as well as the wildlife department. How many resources they have committed is unknown.

I did hear there has been a plane flying looking for people on the ground and people on foot in the area, but don't know how many.

In the end, the tanzania government will handle it, it may not be the way many would like to see it done, but they are the authority and like it or not, they will handle it as they see fit.

That's tragic. My condolences to his family. May the bastard poachers rot in hell.

Hate to hear this.....may he rest in peace.

My condolences to Andre's family. Such a senseless loss.

Equally as sad is the fact that these murdering scumbags will filter into their lifestyle as if nothing has happened, and in all liklihood, may never be caught ! To hell with them.

Andre was a very, very good friend of mine. He will be missed by everyone. The safari world will not be the same now that he is gone. I cannot believe that there will be no more hunting with this very honarable gentleman.
Our sincere condolences go to his wife Leslie, daughters Claire and Kelly and to his son Matt.
This is possibly the last way Andre would have liked to have gone, shot by an elephant poacher. He did not even have a chance to fight.
I hope they capture these ruthless criminals and swing them in the middle of Maswa for other poachers to see.

quote:

I hope they capture these ruthless criminals and swing them in the middle of Maswa for other poachers to see.

quote:

Originally posted by The Shadow knows:

quote:

Originally posted by mambatz:
I am just wondering if any of the PH`s have any sympathy to go up to Maswa and look for these guys, i am sure if they combine forces thay can find these people. its just about volunteering guys

I thought the same thing. But, I'm not sure it is just a matter of volunteers. Maswa is on one side of the road and the Serengeti National Park is on the other.

A coordinated effort with the wildlife department may be possible, but perhaps not.

Look at what happend to Rick Hopcraft. He was not allowed to carry a firearm when pointing out where the wounded buffalo was to the kenya wildlife service. Then the KWS guys ran around like the "F'n" three stooges while the buffalo killed him.

As I said earlier, if RHS pushed this hard, there may be some action by the tanzania government. I am sure the police have started to follow up on it as well as the wildlife department. How many resources they have committed is unknown.

I did hear there has been a plane flying looking for people on the ground and people on foot in the area, but don't know how many.

In the end, the tanzania government will handle it, it may not be the way many would like to see it done, but they are the authority and like it or not, they will handle it as they see fit.

They should hire blood nut (or should I say give him the ooportunity) to go track them down.

My sincere condolences to the family. I'm sure words are of no comfort right now.
I was in Moyowosi this past September and we ran into poachers. They ran, we chased, but couldn't catch them. the next day the anti poaching team did and two of our guys were shot. This is a nasty business and seriously dangerous as most of the anti poaching team members are unarmed.

A phone dropped by the poaching gang was picked up.

Results are filtering in. For once, it seems the Gov in Dsm are reacting. There is quite a large force scurring the area by groung and by air using our microlight.

Some arrests have been made and these are producing names and whereabouts. Hefty Rewards have been announced.

As some of you are aware, TGTS has taken over the Maswa Makao block starting 2011 (Transition year)and we are just as eager as RHS are to apprehend these cowards!

what a bad news... incredible!
terrifying hear this.
With all respect... Carmine.

For those of you who did not have the privilege of knowing Andre, please click here and select the ATSN memorial video link at the bottom of the Facebook post.

March 26 -April 1, 2011
issn 0856 - 9135

www.arushatimes.co.tz

Poaching leads to murder of
Professional Hunter

By Annabel Ross

Last month on the morning of 18th February a Tanzanian Professional Hunter, Andre de Kock, was murdered by poachers in Maswa Game Reserve whilst guiding a tourist hunter, who managed to escape with his life.

The group on this hunting expedition also included a film maker from Kenya, a Tanzanian driver, Government Scout and two Trackers. One tracker was shot in the pelvis and managed to run for cover to the nearest bush. The other tracker and the government scout were shot in the arm and managed to run, together with the uninjured client, the film maker and the driver, ten kilometers back to their camp. They didn’t stop running until they had reached the safety of the camp, as would you if you had just been fired at by a group of 8 or 9 poachers with automatic rifles.

Maswa Game Reserve, bordering the Serengeti National Park, is a place you would not expect to see a bright blue plastic bag which is why Andre de Kock, who was driving at the time, decided to stop, presumably pick it up and take it out of the reserve. As it turned out, on this particular day, it was a mistake.

This bag, found near the poachers’ camp, was later discovered to contain a large amount of ammunition. Also found in the camp were 4 sets of elephant tusks, approximately 200 rounds of AK47 ammunition, spare loaded magazines, knives, axes and weighing scales, all of which the poachers abandoned after the shooting, having fled.

Despite the efforts of support from local operators in the area, the local community and the police, one month later, the poachers have still evaded capture.

Andre de Kock was brutally murdered for simply doing his job and playing his part as a conservationist for his country. De Kock made his home in Tanzania in 1986 and a few years ago became a Tanzanian Citizen. He was amongst many of the professional hunters in Tanzania who strive to protect the wildlife, trees, birds, fish and land of the areas in which they work.

A number of Tanzania’s hunting companies not only assist the Government in helping to protect these areas but they also play an important role in their economic development, bringing in considerable revenue for the communities, helping to build schools, clinics and other much needed basic human requirements in these remote areas.

A large part of the country’s revenue comes in from hunting clients and
tourists on safari: they come to see these world famous, beautiful parks
and their wildlife. It is surely obvious what will happen if these parks
continue to be destroyed by poachers of wildlife, trees and grass.

But, it seems the battle is a tough one and for now the poachers are winning.

Overall, seizures involving Tanzania between 1989 and 2010 represented one third of all ivory seized globally, and Tanzania ranks first among African countries in terms of the total volume of ivory reported by large-scale seizures, according to a report from Mike Mande, East African website.

The sponsors of these poaching expeditions obviously do not care for the future of Tanzania and the buyers are presumably too far removed from Africa to think about the consequences it will bring to this continent.

Messages of Andre de Kock’s murder by poachers have been posted on websites across the globe. We can only hope that this will not deter tourists from coming to Tanzania, arguably Africa’s premier safari destination, and continuing to bring in much needed foreign revenue.

The fact remains that Andre de Kock was pointlessly killed and his family have to now live with that. Need his death be in vain or will his murderers be brought to justice?

If this is the beginning of a new and more sinister wave of poaching in Tanzania we need to think about what the future holds for the country’s elephant population, and its tourist industry.

It seems odd to me that these murderers could vanish so easily and not leave a trace. I think there may be more to the story than we know.

The police have 3 of the poachers and 1 of them is 1 of 2 poachers that had guns and fired at Andre. A lot of additional info has been provided from their interrogation. They are looking for the weapons which appear to have come from the local police dpt - as well as the ammo! Things are happening................ the Tanzanian way!

A small army has convened in the area and multiple arrests have been made including non-related to Andre's incident.

Glad to hear it. I'm sure they'll round up the rest soon. Fortunately, the "proper authorities" won't be restricted by the "appropriate questioning" allowed on this side of the pond.

Please keep us all posted.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanamich:
The police have 3 of the poachers and 1 of them is 1 of 2 poachers that had guns and fired at Andre. A lot of additional info has been provided from their interrogation. They are looking for the weapons which appear to have come from the local police dpt - as well as the ammo! Things are happening................ the Tanzanian way!

A small army has convened in the area and multiple arrests have been made including non-related to Andre's incident.

Here in the States we have the term, "Frontier Justice". I'm sure those poachers will experience Tanzania's version of that.

Great job by the anti-poaching teams!!

Has there been any headway made in this case?

thoughts and prayers

Doesnt sound like there has been much headway; just a lot of confusion and not knowing who is to be trusted - and the elephant poaching continues on the serengeti at an alarming rate.

Apparently the poaching on the Serengeti and around Maswa is a LOT worse than most people believe it to be

Manyathelo,

Sources have also told me about poaching happening at an unprecedented pace in the Serengeti and Maswa areas.

There are also indications that evidence about this is being ignored by the government.

Hopefully, there will be pictures forthcoming that prove the level of the current poaching problem.

As for the Andre de Kock case, I wonder if the murderers will ever be caught and brought to justice.