Two suspected poachers arrested after killing of 5 elephants in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park

NAIROBI: Two suspects are in police custody over the killing of five elephants in Tsavo West National Park as Kenya Wildlife Service launched a major operation to track the rest of the poachers.

The joint operation involving police and Tanzanian wildlife authorities was launched after gunshots were heard at about 6p.m. on Monday.

In a statement Wednesday, KWS said more rangers were dispatched on a search mission who found five carcasses of freshly poached elephants comprising a female adult and four sub-adults with tusks missing.

The carcasses were traced at about on Tuesday at Losoita area of Tsavo West National Park from where the search mission team tracked the suspected poachers to a nearby manyatta.

"The hot pursuit led to the arrest of two suspects at the nearby manyatta at Ndoomani area of Loitoktok sub-county adjacent to Tsavo West National Park in Taita Taveta County," said KWS in the statement.

The suspected gang is believed to comprise four Tanzanians who operate across the Tanzania-Kenya border assisted by some Kenyans from the local area. They are believed to have used motorbikes to escape with the tusks.

A fresh blood-stained axe, axe handle,'Akala' shoes and a hack-saw were found in one of the houses in the manyatta.

Police officers have visited the scene of crime as part of on-going investigations into the matter.