Overview
- Two men are accused of entering Kruger National Park illegally through the Pafuri area on Friday, September 11, and rangers were alerted after one returned home to report his accomplice missing.
- The surviving man was arrested with help from local community members and led SANParks rangers back to the area where the pair separated.
- Rangers followed tracks from the Luvuvhu River for about six kilometres inland and found the missing man’s body along with the remains of a buffalo believed to have been illegally hunted.
- Multiple media outlets report the man was trampled by a herd of elephants, but SANParks says SAPS has been notified and forensic investigators must now confirm the cause of death.
- The discovery highlights the acute dangers of rhino poaching in Kruger, underlines the role of community cooperation in policing the park, and may affect future patrols and prosecutions as police pursue criminal inquiries.