A poacher in South Africa recently lost his life after being trampled by an elephant and subsequently eaten by lions.
A South African National Park press release states that a group of poachers illegally entered Kruger National Park (KNP) on foot with the intention of hunting rhinoceros. Four of them later called the family of a fifth member, whom they claim was killed by an elephant Tuesday night. The family then reached out to Skukuza Regional Ranger Don English, who sent out a search party to recover the body.
Park officials found the remains of the lost poacher the following Thursday, and said, “Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants. Skukuza police were notified immediately and are currently busy with further investigations into the incident."
The four poachers who accompanied the deceased have been arrested.
The managing executive of the KNP, Glenn Phillips, extended his condolences to the relatives of the deceased and encouraged others to learn from his fatal mistake.
“Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise, it holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that. It is very sad to see the daughters of the deceased mourning the loss of their father, and worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains.”
