Elephant Poachers Kill Rangers, Wound Swedish Park Manager in Congo

Author(s)

Marine Pennetier, Reuters

Date Published

Elephant poachers killed three rangers in Democratic Republic of
Congo’s Garamba wildlife park and wounded two other people including
the Swedish park manager, environmental officials said.

One of the rangers was found dead near the site of the Saturday
attack, said African Parks, which manages the UNESCO world heritage
site.

U.S. forces in the area evacuated the others, but two of them died of
their injuries a day later at a military base in neighboring Central
African Republic, the organization added. The survivors were in a
stable condition.

“Rangers put their lives on the line each and every day, and are under
real siege in Garamba protecting elephants from heavily incentivized
and militarized poaching gangs,” African Parks chief executive Peter
Fearnhead said in a statement.

Armed poachers killed three Congolese soldiers and five guards from
the state wildlife authority in three separate incidents in Garamba in
2015.

Africa’s elephant population is estimated to have dwindled by 60
percent over the past decade, and around 30,000 elephants are poached
each year largely to supply ivory to Asian countries, say campaigners.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-congodemocratic-poachers-attack-idUSKCN0XM0TZ