Elephant tramples poacher to death

An elephant has trampled a poacher to death while he was attempting to kill the animal in the Charara National Park in Kariba, Zimbabwe.

Solomon Manjoro's remains were found by rangers at the protected Charara safari area inside the national park.

It is thought he had entered the game reserve to embark on an illegal hunting trip with a friend.

The alleged accomplice, Noluck Tafuruka, 29, was later arrested inside the park, according to the Daily Telegraph.

It is believed the pair approached the animal in an attempt to shoot it, but it did not go down, and instead charged them, killing Mr Manjoro.

A third man, Godfrey Shonge, 52, was also arrested over the incident, and the pair appeared in court last week.

According to Bulawayo24, they appeared before Karoi magistrate Mrs Nyaradzo Ringisayi charged with contravening a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act, and possessing a firearm without a licence.

The site adds that between 19 April and 26 April, Manjoro and Tafuruka entered the park armed with two rifles "allegedly for the sole purpose of poaching".

The news comes just days after WWF conservationists said 26 elephants were slaughtered by armed men in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic.

BBC News reports that forest elephants have become a target for poaching gangs, with ivory poachers using a scientist's observation platform to shoot the animals.

Related articles

26 forest elephant massacred in Central Africa

Mother rescues baby elephant stuck in mud pool