South Africa: Lion eats poacher

Suspected poachers gain access to a game reserve in South Africa. One of them is caught by lions. According to police, almost nothing was left of the man.

Lion pride mauls poacher

A pride of lions has mauled a suspected poacher in South Africa near the Kruger National Park, which is popular with tourists. Almost nothing was left of the man, said police spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe on Monday. Based on footprints, police believe that three suspected poachers gained access to a fenced private game reserve near the town of Hoedspruit in Limpopo province on Friday evening. “One of them was caught by the lions,” said Ngoepe.

Alongside the man's remains, a hunting rifle and ammunition were also found on Saturday morning. Police are asking residents of the area in the northeast of the country to help identify the victim. There are several mostly very luxurious private game reserves along the borders of Kruger National Park. Citing the ongoing investigation, the police spokesperson declined to disclose which reserve was affected.

Poaching remains a major problem

The biggest poaching problem in the region along the border with Mozambique is the illegal killing of hundreds of rhinos every year. Poachers comparatively rarely attempt to kill elephants or lions. Lion body parts are used in traditional medicine in parts of Africa. Elephant tusks made of ivory and rhino horns, on the other hand, are mostly exported illegally to Asia. More on the topic Recreational hunting international and Animal rights.