Another elephant has been killed in Tsavo, days after President Uhuru Kenyatta burned 15 tonnes of ivory to show Kenya is committed to stopping poaching.
This brings to seven, the number of elephants killed in Tsavo region in the past two weeks.
Last week, four elephants were killed in Tsavo East National Park while one was killed in Taita Ranch.
Another elephant’s leg was shattered by a poacher’s bullet at Lwalenyi Ranch.
Mgeno Group Ranch official Arnold Msheshe said the elephant died at the Panda Two area of Mgeno Ranch on Wednesday night, one-and-a-half kilometers from Mgeno Dam.
“The elephant might have been shot with a poisoned arrow because it fell along the way heading to the dam. All its tusks were hacked off,” he said.
Mshehe said the poachers’ footprints could be seen.
Kenya Wildlife Service’s senior warden in charge of community Dickson Too told the Star on the phone security officers are on the ground.
“We have not gathered full information on whether a poisoned arrow or a gun was used to kill the elephant,” he told the Star yesterday morning.
Taita Taveta Rancher’s Association coordinator Donald Mombo appealed to the government to post a canine unit in Tsavo region.
“Sniffer dogs are very efficient in tracking the poachers by following their footprints,” he said.
Increased poaching in Tsavo has been blamed on illegal herders who have invaded the park to fatten their animals for export market.
A livestock owner at Mramba Ranch, Everest Msamuli, told the Star on the phone Somali herders have put up bomas inside Tsavo West National Park.
“There are thousands of livestock in the park. Our herders meet others of Somali origin coming from the park to fetch water at the ranches and return to the park. These people are a security threat,” he said.
Msamuli said the livestock in the park belong to “powerful politicians” in government from North Eastern.