Lions ate a suspected rhino poacher after he was trampled to death by an elephant in South Africa.  According to the South African National Parks (SANP), when lions finished, only the skull and trousers of the man remained.

SANP reported that his family was alerted by his “accomplices”, who reported that his death happened while they were in Kruger National Park (KNP), on South Africa’s eastern border with Mozambique, to poach rhino.

The Kruger National Park is the largest reserve in South Africa and covers more than 12,000 square miles (31,000 square kilometers). It is home to the Big Five of rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, and leopard.

The four other poachers who fled the game reserve in South Africa in terror were picked up by police and explained how an angry elephant surprised them as they stalked endangered rhino, and the fifth member of their gang had been stamped to death. They somehow got the chance to run for safety.

As soon as the family called, Don English, Skukuza Regional Ranger, arranged a search party in the area known as Crocodile bridge, while members of the KNP Airwing flew over the area in order to find the dead’s man remains before it got dark.

They did not find the body at first, but when four of the accomplices of the dead man gave them additional instructions, they found what little was left.

The fellow poachers were arrested, and the police investigated the matter. They will remain in custody and appear in court in due course.

The head of Kruger National Park Glenn Phillips said that this was a highly dangerous move, to enter the park illegally and on foot, and this incident proved it.

He said that it is also extremely sad to see the family of the poacher mourning the loss, only being able to recover very little of his remains. He commended the search party to give the family “some closure” and extended the parks’ condolences to his family and friends.

Sources:
news.sky.com
www.news.com.au