Suspected poachers killed in Tsavo identified
What you need to know:
- The Voi police boss said the decomposing bodies of the slain poachers have been lying at the Voi County Referral Hospital Mortuary were released to the family for burial at a Muslim Cemetery in Voi on Monday evening.
- Recently, two poachers who had sneaked into the park were gunned down by KWS rangers and an AK-47 rifle and 13 live rounds of ammunition, a number of bows and toxic arrows recovered.
Bodies of four suspected poachers killed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers in a fierce gun battle on Friday at the Tsavo East National Park have been identified.
Voi officer commanding police station (OCPD) Joseph Chesire said the bodies were identified after their families reported missing persons at their office in Voi.
The suspects were identified as Siyap Sheik Yusuf, Mohamed Tush, Osman Salat and Abubakar Ali. They hailed from Tarasaa in Tana River County.
“The family came and assisted the police in identifying the bodies after recording statements of missing persons,” Mr Chesire told the Nation.co.ke in a telephone interview.
The Voi police boss said the decomposing bodies of the slain poachers have been lying at the Voi County Referral Hospital Mortuary were released to the family for burial at a Muslim Cemetery in Voi on Monday evening.
The KWS rangers involved in the operation said two AK-47 rifles, 35 live rounds of ammunition and two elephant tusks were recovered from the suspects.
During the shootout, a senior KWS ranger was killed and another sustained serious injuries and is recuperating at St Joseph’s Shelter of Hope Hospital.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the two other suspected poachers who escaped with multiple gunshot wounds.
Recently, two poachers who had sneaked into the park were gunned down by KWS rangers and an AK-47 rifle and 13 live rounds of ammunition, a number of bows and toxic arrows recovered.
Mr Chesire said police officers have been deployed to the park to join KWS rangers to tame the increasing cases of poaching.
Security has been beefed up in the national conservation area to protect elephants whose population has since reduced to 11,000, according to statistics from KWS.
Some six poachers have been killed within the last two months while a total of 1570 elephants are suspected to have also died in the hands of poachers or due to natural causes.
Security personnel have asked the public to be on the lookout and share information with the police upon noticing patients seeking treatment with gunshot wounds.
