Suspected Poacher Eaten by Lions

Lions seem to have taken revenge on a suspected poacher on a private nature reserve in South Africa. Authorities believe the lions ate the poacher, leaving his head behind. (1)

In February 2018, a half-eaten body was found next to a rifle and ammunition, leading authorities to believe the man was a suspected poacher. He was attacked and eaten by a pride of lions. (1, 2)

The police in Limpopo, South Africa made efforts to learn the identity of a deceased man found on the Ingwelala Private Nature Reserve, just outside of Kruger National Park. The police involved the Department of Home Affairs to find out who the man was. (2)

Police Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe told local news source Sowetan Live, “We are still trying all other means, including the Home Affairs Department, to get his history, which may lead us to his residential place.” (2)

Searching for the Identity of the Poacher

Originally, Ngoepe believed the deceased man may have been an employee of the nature reserve, who got stuck while driving a tractor. However, “The person who was thought to be an employee who got stuck whilst driving a tractor is, in fact, alive,” Ngoepe informed Sowetan Live. (2)

“The process of identifying the deceased has already commenced and it might be made possible by the fact that his head is amongst the remains that were found at the scene,” Ngoepe said. (2)

It is unclear from news reports if Limpopo authorities ever conclusively identified the identity of the deceased man. However, this was neither the first nor the last time a poacher was killed by potential prey in this area of South Africa, which a worker on another reserve described as “lion territory”. (2)

Rhino Poachers Killed by Lions

In another incident in July 2018, lions killed three more alleged poachers in the Sibuya game reserve in South Africa. Nick Fox, the owner of the reserve, believes that they were there to illegally kill rhinos. (3)

Fox took an anti-poaching unit out to investigate unusual activity. They found human remains and supplies, including bread, bags, and guns, in the lions’ camp. (3)

“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 news source RNEWS. (3)

And in April 2019, an elephant killed another suspected rhino poacher in Kruger National Park. Afterward, a pride of lions ate him. (4)

After the deceased’s accomplice poachers told his family that he had died, his relatives informed the park ranger. A search party found only a pair of trousers and a human skull. (4)

Poaching Issues

Kruger National Park has had ongoing issues with poaching. There is still a demand for rhino horns in other countries, leading to illegal poaching. (4)

“Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise,” the executive director of the park said in a statement. “It holds many dangers, and this incident is evidence of that.” (4)