Outrage after five elephants are slaughtered in Tsavo
Two suspects are in police custody over the killing of five elephants in Tsavo West National Park as Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says it has launched an operation to track the rest of the poachers.
The joint operation involving Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities was launched after gunshots were heard at the park at about 6 pm on Monday.
The carcasses were found on Tuesday at Losoita area of Tsavo West National Park from where the search mission team tracked the suspected poachers to the nearby manyatta.
The five carcasses comprised of a female adult and four young ones. Their tusks were missing.
Conservationist Paula Kahumbu, CEO of WildlifeDirect, led the condemnation of the killings by tweeting an aerial picture of the carcasses to President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and stating: “Look carefully, pls visit the site together & send a strong message 2 law enforcers.”
She added: “Patrick Bergin ‘Hilary Clinton, Obama, Prince William r speaking out. Where r the AFrican leaders voices on this issue of poaching?’”
The suspected poachers were arrested Ndoomani area of Loitoktok sub-county, adjacent to Tsavo West National Park in Taita Taveta County.
They include four Tanzanians who operate across the Tanzania-Kenya border assisted by some Kenyans from the local area.
They are believed to have used motorbikes to escape with the tusks.
Fresh blood stained axe and a hack-saw were found in one of the houses in the manyatta.
Police officers have visited the scene.