PH
Police have gunned down three suspected poachers at the Eastern side of Abardare National Park at Mutero area in Nyeri County.
The suspects had strayed into the park armed with an AK47, two rounds of ammunition, a spear, an axe, a pen knife and a weighing scale that were recovered from them.
While confirming the incident, regional Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Senior Warden Catherene Wambani said the killing of the three happened after officers trailed gunshots that had been heard in the park.
The suspects are said to be residents of Mweiga area, Nyeri County.
Wambani said it was a major breakthrough to have cornered the suspects adding that there have been security issues in the area for a couple of weeks.
The warden said that last week an elephant was killed and the tusks removed inside the park, saying that those involved were still at large.
She stated that they will not relent in their fight against poaching in order to protect all wild animals as the law requires.
“We shall spare no chance to guard our animals that are part our heritage. We shall go to any length to protect them,” she said.
The killing of the suspects and the elephant by poachers comes just a month after President Uhuru Kenyatta torched tonnes of ivories at Nairobi National Park
