A suspected poacher who allegedly ran into a herd of elephants while illegally inside the Kruger National Park was reportedly found dead six kilometres from the park boundary.
The man’s body was discovered over the weekend after he and an accomplice allegedly entered the protected area through the Pafuri region in the north. The surviving man told local residents and law enforcement officials that the two men had been separated while fleeing from the elephants and that he had heard his partner screaming.
The frightening incident began on Friday when the pair allegedly crossed into the park illegally. Their reported hunt for profit came to a sudden end when they encountered a herd of elephants in the wilderness.
The two men ran in different directions, splitting up in the chaos. One of them managed to escape from the park and return home, but his partner did not come back with him.
After raising the alarm, the surviving man admitted that they had entered Kruger illegally. He then guided police officials and rangers towards the area where the pair had last been together.
SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said the search team followed tracks from the Pafuri ranger post along the Luvuvhu River. The trail led approximately six kilometres into the park, through difficult terrain and an area where wild animals move freely.
“Rangers followed tracks along the Luvuvhu River for approximately six kilometres into the park,” Louw stated.
At the end of the trail, the rangers found the body of the missing man. The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated, but the incident reportedly involved elephants after the two men encountered the herd and fled in separate directions.
The search team also discovered the remains of a buffalo close to the area where the body was found. SANParks officials believe the two men may have killed the buffalo, although the investigation will determine what happened and whether the animal was linked to their alleged activities inside the park.
Police are conducting forensic work to establish the exact circumstances of the man’s death. Investigators are expected to examine the body, the surrounding area and the tracks followed by the rangers as part of the process.
The discovery has once again highlighted the dangers faced by people who enter protected wildlife areas illegally. Kruger is home to large wild animals, including elephants, buffaloes, lions and other species that can become highly dangerous when surprised, threatened or approached in the bush.
For the rangers involved in the operation, the search was made more difficult by the distance they had to travel into the park and the challenging conditions along the Luvuvhu River. They had to follow the tracks left by the men while working in an environment where visibility can be limited and animals may be nearby.
The surviving accomplice’s account gave police and SANParks officials a starting point. After hearing that his partner had disappeared and that screams had been heard, officials moved quickly to locate the area where the men had last been seen.
Community members also assisted with the initial response. Their involvement helped bring the report to the attention of law enforcement and led to the surviving man guiding rangers towards the last known location.
The man found dead had allegedly entered the park as part of an attempt to hunt wildlife for profit. The suspected killing of the buffalo is now part of the investigation, and officials will have to establish whether the animal was poached and how the men came to be in the area.
The surviving man’s account will also be examined by investigators. Police will need to establish the sequence of events, including when the pair encountered the elephants, how they became separated and what happened after one man escaped while the other remained behind.
No further details about possible arrests or charges were provided at the time of reporting. The forensic investigation and police inquiry will determine the next steps in the case.
The incident is a grim reminder that Kruger National Park is not an open hunting ground and that entering it without permission carries serious risks. People who venture into the park illegally can face dangerous wildlife, remote conditions and long distances from immediate help.
The alleged poaching attempt ended with one man dead, another facing questions from investigators and the remains of a buffalo found in the same remote area. What began as an illegal search for profit turned into a desperate escape through the bush — and ended when rangers followed the trail to a body deep inside the park.
