Lions attack and eat rhino poachers in reserve

Rangers at a South African game reserve have found the remains of more than two suspected rhino poachers who they believe were eaten by lions.

The remains of the two, possibly three people, were found by rangers in the Sibuya Game Reserve alongside a high-powered rifle and an axe, according to a statement from park owner Nick Fox on the reserve’s Facebook page.

Mr Fox added the group had “all the hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino and removing their horns”. They also had wire-cutters and food supplies with them.

“One of our anti-poaching dogs alerted her handler at about 4.30 am Monday morning that something was amiss,” he wrote.

“At the same time the handler heard a loud commotion coming from the lions so he suspected that this was what had alerted her and was not concerned. It is not unusual to hear them at night. However, it now appears likely that the dog had been alerted by something else out of the ordinary coming from the lions.”

The park’s anti-poaching unit found what “appeared to be human remains” near the lions on Tuesday afternoon.

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“Clearly, the poachers had walked into a pride of six lions and some, if not all had been killed,” Mr Fox wrote.

Staff organised for the lions to be sedated so police forensic teams could determine what happened.

“At this stage it is not clear exactly how many poachers were killed but the police forensic team continue to investigate,” Mr Fox wrote.

In 2018, poachers have killed nine rhinos in South Africa’s eastern cape where the reserve is located.