WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES – Rangers remove tusk of dead elephant to prevent theft
These graphic images rotated on social media last week.
MBOMBELA – After an elephant bull died of natural causes near Shingwedzi rest camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on August 20, rangers and SANParks veterinarians had the gruesome task of removing its tusks to prevent poachers from stealing them.
According to KNP spokesman Mr William Mabasa, the elephant bull died of natural causes. “The elephant died of old age on the river bank of the Shingwedzi River,” he said.
Many Facebook-users responded to the photos,believing they were poachers, but Mabasa confirmed it was SANParks staff.
“This is a regular procedure. Every time an elephant or a rhino dies we have to remove the tusks or the horns to ensure that poachers don’t get to them.”
These photos, taken by Mr Jof McClean, show how vets and rangers remove the tusks using an axe.
Mabasa said the ivory will be kept in a safe place in the park. He could not say how big the tusks were because they were not measured.
