We need more of this...
Late on July 3rd(2018), the weapons and body parts of three alleged would-be rhino poachers were found in Sibuya, a South African game reserve. It appears that they were eaten by a pride of lions, according to local reports.
Reportedly, dogs in an anti-poaching unit reacted to something unusual on an early-morning patrol on Monday, but it wasn’t until Tuesday afternoon that a skull was seen in the lions’ camp. That’s when reserve owner Nick Fox went out with an anti-poaching unit to investigate.
There, they saw supplies—bags, guns, and bread—scattered everywhere. “Human remains were also clearly visible,” Fox told South African news outlet HeraldLIVE. It was too dark on Tuesday evening to safely investigate further, so on Wednesday the unit returned and tranquilized the lions so that they could comb the scene. (Read about the women fighting poaching in South Africa.)
Fox and others found that only a skull and a few pieces of pelvic bone remained of the people who were apparently mauled. They believe that there were three men because they found three pairs of shoes and gloves. The gear gathered from around the lions’ camp provides evidence of illegal intent, Fox’s team said.
“They were armed with, amongst other things, a high-powered rifle with a silencer, an axe, wire cutters, and had food supplies for a number of days—all the hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino and removing their horns,” Fox told local outlet RNEWS. Helicopters have been called in to scan the thick bush for survivors who may be hiding. (Also see: “Why Did Lion Kill Tourist in South Africa?”)
South Africa and its influences, like Zimbabwe and Botswana, take their game protection very seriously. Other countries farther north, including Kenya, are either underequipped to do a decent job or are simply too corrupt to care.
Lions gotta eat too. Couldn’t have happened to nicer folk, ya know.