Dead elephant discovered with gunshot wounds

A dead elephant, with its tusks intact, has been discovered at a village in Samburu County with gun shot wounds.

The jumbo was discovered on Wednesday at Agata Nanyokie village by children who had gone to fetch water at a nearby river.

Residents, who reported the matter to authorities, said they have not witnessed presence of elephants in the area for over 15 years concluding the jumbo might have been shot elsewhere before succumbing to the injuries.

Zakayo Lekasuyan, a village elder, said he was informed by shocked children who could not clearly describe the animal as it was lying on one side.

Mr Lekasuyan said they informed KWS officers who arrived at the scene immediately and removed the tusks.

 "We have never seen an elephant in our area for so many years. We are amazed where the dead elephant migrated from," Lekasuyan said.

Samburu KWS deputy warden James Nduati said preliminary investigations revealed the elephant died a week ago as a result of three gunshot wounds which injured its spinal cord.

"We received a phone call that a dead elephant has been discovered in the area  and we can confirm the elephant died a week ago, " he said adding suspected poachers must have shot the elephant elswhere.

Samburu County has in the recent past witnessed an increase in poaching incidents. At least four elephants have been killed in a span of two months.

About two weeks, poachers shot dead one elephant and fled away with tusks at Sura Adoru area in Samburu East and barely a month earlier, carcasses of two elephants with their tusks intact had been found in Ndoto area.