Security alert as poachers invade private ranch

Security is on high alert after a suspected poacher was on Thursday shot dead by Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) rangers at a private wildlife ranch in Nyeri County.

The unidentified middle aged suspects was gunned down at around 1.00 am at Solio Ranch in Mweiga, Kieni West.

A sporting shot gun and one round of ammunition was recovered.

Aberdare Nation Park Senior Warden, Christine Boit said that rangers guarding the ranch were attracted by gun shots from a section of the ranch and laid an ambush, killing the suspected poacher.

Two of his accomplices escaped with serious gun wounds.

Mrs Boit noted that over several rhinos and elephants have been killed by poachers within the region in the last one year.

He added that the rangers have intensified the fight against poaching.

“We want the poachers to know that there is no room for poaching in Solio and the entire Aberdare region” she said.

ERADICATE POACHING

KWS was working with all the security agents and the county government to eradicate poaching, she added.

She said that KWS had intensified their operations to protect the game animals.

She warned those thinking that Solio was a safe haven for poachers that they would be met with the full force of the law.

“We are aware that some people are working on the misinformation that Solio Ranch is not guarded.

But as you can see, the rangers are on full force” she told journalists.

She said that owing to the increasing number of rhinos dying at the hand of poachers, KWS has assigned each rhino a warden in a bid to eradicate poaching.

Speaking after the operation, the Kieni West OCPD John Kemboi said that his officers had launched a hunt for the suspects who escaped with gun-shot wounds.

“We have alerted all the hospitals and dispensaries around to give information on people who may seek treatment with gun-shot wounds,” he said.

The incident comes barely two months after police arrested two suspected poachers and recovered two home-made guns and several rounds of ammunition.

ENDANGERED SPECIES

A recent study on Kenya's wildlife lists 107 species as endangered.

Of these, 16 are critically endangered, 34 are listed as endangered and 55 as vulnerable.

Among the critically endangered species are the black rhino, the bongo and the hirola antelope.

The study goes on to give more shocking revelations.

It shows that in the 1960s there were 20,000 black rhinos but there are only 1,000 left today.

There were 15,000 lions in the 1900s but there are only 2,000 currently.

In the 1970s there were 167,000 elephants but only 3,000 remain now.

Still in the 1970s, there were 15,000 zebras but only 2,300 are left today.