Date Published:
Two suspects are in police custody over the killing of five elephants in Tsavo West National Park as Kenya Wildlife Service launches a major operation to track the rest of the poachers.
The joint operation involving police and Tanzanian wildlife authorities launched the operation after a report of gunshots heard at about 6pm on Monday, July 27, 2015.
KWS rangers were dispatched on a search mission and found five carcasses of freshly poached elephants comprising a female adult and four sub-adults with tusks missing.
The carcasses were traced at about 11am on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Losoita area of Tsavo West National Park from where the search mission team tracked the suspected poachers to the nearby manyatta.
The hot pursuit led to the arrest of two suspects at the nearby manyatta at Ndoomani area of Loitoktok sub-county adjacent to Tsavo West National Park.
The suspected gang is believed to comprise four Tanzanians who operate across the Tanzania-Kenya border assisted by some Kenyans from the local area. They are believed to have used motorbikes to escape with the tusks.
Fresh blood stained axe, axe handle,’Akala’ shoes and a hack-saw were found in one of the houses in the manyatta.
Police officers have visited the scene of crime as part of on-going investigations into the matter.
