A suspected poacher in South Africa’s Kruger National Park was killed by an elephant last week and his remains were eaten by lions. The poacher, who was not named, was believed to have been hunting rhinoceros and three others in the poacher’s party were arrested by the South African Police Service.
“Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants,” the park said in a statement.
The park’s managing executive, Glenn Phillips, said entering the park on foot was not wise on the part of the poacher. “[The park] holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that. It is very sad to see the daughters of the deceased mourning the loss of their father, and worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains,” he said.
The survivors of the dead man’s party appeared in Komatipoort Magistrate Court on Friday and were charged with possessing illegal firearms, conspiracy to poach, and trespassing. They were placed in custody while police continued to investigate the incident.
Rhino horns are highly prized on black markets around the world, particularly in Asian regions, thanks to the belief that it has potent medicinal uses. According to a 2017 Scientific American article, the claim that rhino horns are purchased for use as an aphrodisiac is largely an urban myth, with most buyers seeing them as a luxury health tonic. Scientific studies have suggested the horn’s supposed medicinal uses are myth as well.
