Suspected poacher killed by elephant then eaten by lions

A suspected poacher was killed by an elephant at a South African national park, before a pride of lions ate his body.

The man was hunting rhino when the creature struck, South African National Parks said in a statement.

It added that his accomplices contacted the man’s family, who in turn asked rangers at the Kruger National Park to recover his remains.

Don English, the park’s regional ranger, led a search party for the body, assisted by field rangers and members of the park’s air wing, who flew above the area.

They later discovered the man’s remains.

“Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains, leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants,” a spokesperson for the national park said.

Glenn Phillips, the park’s managing director said: “Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise. It holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that. It is very sad to see the daughters of the deceased mourning the loss of their father and, worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains.”

Four of the man’s alleged fellow poachers were arrested by South African Police Service officers.

“The four arrested individuals are in custody and will appear in court in due course,” the park spokesperson said.

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Elephant crisis as one is killed every 25 minutes

AFRICAN elephants could become extinct within decades unless poaching is halted, British campaigners warned yesterday. The Born Free Foundation said an elephant is being killed every 25 minutes to feed the illegal trade in ivory, treasured in the Far East for its alleged medical properties.

About 201,000 elephants have been poached in the past six years.

In the past century the population plunged from five million elephants to fewer than 500,000.

Yet the animals, among the noblest on the planet, are vital for the environment, spreading plant seeds, digging for water which helps other species and modifying landscapes by uprooting trees.

Charity founder Virginia McKenna, 87, who starred in the hit 1966 movie Born Free, said: “Elephants are living treasures.

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