Kenya arrests seven suspected poachers
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E-mail Xinhua, April 6, 2012
Kenya's wildlife authority said an eight-year-old female rhino has been illegally killed in the world's famous Tsavo West National Park and also arrested seven suspected poachers.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said its aerial patrol team found the rhino carcass in Ngulia Sanctuary within the expansive park.
KWS said in a statement that further investigation revealed that the three-day old carcass had neither bullet wounds nor any other visible injury.
"However, its horn was missing; a clear case of poaching. Investigators are following crucial leads and hope to unravel the exact circumstances of the killing and bring the culprits to book, " the statement said.
The East African nation is among countries in Africa where poaching is rampant despite the vice having been outlawed in the country in 1977.
Poachers target especially rhinos and elephants for their tusks and skins, which fetch a lot of money in the black market particularly in Asia.
Kenya is a popular destination especially for tourists from Europe. The country is known for its great variety of wildlife, which includes elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, lions, cheetah and leopards. These animals are protected in national parks.
KWS also said seven suspected poachers have been arrested and two illegally held firearms recovered in separate incidents across the country in the last one week.
It said a total of five elephant tusks were recovered in Nyahururu in central Kenya and South Turkana and Isiolo in northern Kenya.
"Two of these were recovered at Lonyek in Nyahururu where one suspected poacher arrested. One tusk was found at Kainuk in South Turkana and one suspect taken in," KWS said.
According to the wildlife body, further two elephant tusks were recovered in Banane area of Isiolo county and a suspect booked in at the local police station.
It said one M16 rifle and one round of ammunition were recovered in Narok in the Mau Mosiro Kiti area and the suspect was booked at the police station.
"The second firearm, an AK-47 rifle and 39 rounds of ammunition were recovered in Mbale area of the Taita Ranches and one suspect seized," KWS said.
In Mau complex, KWS teams arrested two suspects and recovered an assortment of poaching gears, including poison, one bow, 19 arrows, a knife, matchbox, eland skin, 56 feathers of a vulture and a motor bike.
KWS said the suspects will be arraigned in various courts once investigations are complete.
The wildlife body has strengthened its law enforcement capacity and enhanced collaboration with other security agencies to address escalating poaching.
It said efforts to secure wildlife will remain in high gear to ensure wildlife safety and attributed much of the success attained in apprehending criminals and recovering illegal trophies and firearms to information provided by the public.
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