Three rhino poachers eaten by lions in South Africa – “The lions are our watchers and guardians and the poachers picked the wrong pride and became a meal”

Desdemona Despair

By Christina Zhao
5 July 2018

(Newsweek) – A pride of lions ate a group of poachers after they broke into a game reserve earlier this week in South Africa to hunt rhinoceroses.

Three men were believed to have been eaten alive by the predators sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning after they entered the Sibuya Game Reserve in Kenton-on-Sea to hunt rhinos, Nick Fox, the park’s owner, told Newsweek.

After the incident, authorities recovered the remains of their parts, three pairs of shoes, wire cutters, high-powered hunting rifles fitted with silencers and a type of ax that is commonly used by poachers to remove rhino horns.

“The only body part we found was one skull and one bit of pelvis, everything else was completely gone,” Fox said. “There is so little left that they don’t know exactly how many people were killed, we suspect three because we found three sets of shoes and three sets of gloves.”

Fox also revealed that rhino poaching groups usually consist of three people. [more]

Three Rhino Poachers Eaten By Lions in South Africa

5 July 2018 (Radio Chochilino) – A gang of poachers who broke into a South African game reserve to slaughter a herd of rhinos were attacked and EATEN by a pride of hungry lions.

A head and a number of bloodied body parts and limbs were found near the scene after at least three illegal hunters were devoured by the predators.

Staff at the Sibuya Game Reserve, in Eastern Province, South Africa, called in a helicopter to search the area for more poachers.

A vet then had to tranquilise the six lions so police could go inside and recover the remains of the mauled poachers.

Owner Nick Fox, 60, said: “We found enough body parts and three pairs of empty shoes which suggest to us that the lions ate at least three of them but it is thick bush and there could be more.

“They came heavily armed with hunting rifles and axes which we have recovered and enough food to last them for several days so we suspect they were after all of our rhinos here.

“They were clearly intent on killing rhinos and cutting off their horns.

“But the lions are our watchers and guardians and they picked the wrong pride and became a meal.

“Whilst we are saddened at any loss of life the poachers came here to kill our animals and this sends out a very clear message to any other poachers that you will not always be the winner.” [more]

Gang of poachers EATEN by lions after they broke into South African game reserve to slaughter herd of rhinos