ENTIRE ELEPHANT FAMILY SLAUGHTERED IN KENYA’S TSAVO EAST ✈️ News for Travellers

KWS said the carcasses were discovered on Tuesday afternoon by a routine anti-poaching patrol. The elephants had been gunned down with semi-automatic rifles and their tusks hacked off with machetes.

“This is a tragedy, this is the worst case of poaching we have seen for years,” declared Chief Game Warden Njoroge Fartley. “From the state of the bodies we believe, they were killed several days ago. Our wardens are on the trail of the poachers to try and ascertain from where they came.”

Meanwhile, Charles Njonjo, KWS President, said in a statement that security patrols had been increased elsewhere in the park and other reserves and game parks had been alerted.

The incident, which took place at Muddy Duck watering hole some 200kms inside Kenya’s border with Somalia, takes to 82 the total number of elephants poached in Kenya this year – the highest tally since a global ban on the trade in ivory was imposed in 1989.

“We fear this trend is part of a bigger picture, poachers feel they could be back in business and Kenya is a prime target,” Njonjo said.