Africa News
Two poachers shot dead in South Africa's Kruger park
Jan 12, 2012, 11:08 GMT
Johannesburg - South African game rangers shot and killed two suspected poachers in the Kruger National Park, the country's parks authority said on Thursday.
The South African National Parks said in a statement that the men died in a shoot-out with rangers late on Wednesday night. The poachers were said to be from neighbouring Mozambique.
The parks authority said it regretted the loss of human life.
The rangers found the poachers, who carried high power hunting equipment, while conducting a search operation following the discovery this week of eight rhino carcasses.
In early December the parks authority said more than 400 rhinos were killed by poachers in 2011, making it the worst year on record for the animals in South Africa.
Demand for rhino horns has been on the rise, particularly from south-east Asian countries, where there is a belief that the horns have medicinal benefits.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Africa
- 1. Several dead in car bombing in northern Nigeria
- 2. Mogadishu blast kills seven, including sports chiefs
- 3. Seven dead in Mogadishu suicide bomb attack
- 4. ANC suspends Youth League leader with immediate effect
- 5. Police arrest Uganda's opposition leader and others at protest march
Older Talkback
