KWS Ranger killed by poachers

Posted by: Joal Chebet / posted on June 4th, 2014

A Kenya Wildlife Service ranger was killed on Monday after being caught in an ambush by poachers. The ranger was part of a team protecting rhinos at the Ol Jorgi Ranch in Laikipia North The ranger team was involved in a gun fight with a poaching gang outside the park when they were also attacked by a poaching gang that was already inside the park.

25-year-old Paul Harrison Lelesepei was shot during the gunfight and died while on the way to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The poaching gangs managed to escape but officials say that there are leads which are currently being followed by investigators.

Senior Ranger Aggrey Maumo described that “One gang was inside the ranch already while another was outside. Our rangers had no information about the other gang that was inside and were caught unawares during the shootout with the other that was outside”

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Former Kruger ranger and police arrested as rhino poaching hits 419

Posted by: Kevin Heath / 3 days ago

Latest figures for rhino poaching in South Africa shows that so far this year 419 rhinos have been killed for their horns. The press statement also revealed that a former wildlife ranger and 2 police officers based at the Skukuza police station in the Kruger National Park have been arrested in connection with helping rhino poachers.

The arrests, made yesterday, followed an intelligence-led operation and resulted in the arrest of a former SANParks sergeant in the ranger service and two police constables based at the Kruger National Park.

Members of South African HAWKS – the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – where out on a patrol with park rangers when they found a black rhino that had been killed and de-horned. Following on the spot investigations they received information about a police van that had been seen in the area.

The van was found and pulled over. Investigators discovered that the van was carrying a suspected poacher and a hunting rifle with a silence, ammunition and other poaching equipment. The constables in the van could not provide an adequate reason for carrying the suspected poacher and were arrested.

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