Suspected rhino poachers killed by pride of lions

At least three alleged rhino poachers have been killed by lions, rangers at a south African nature reserve say.

Their remains were found at the Sibuya Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape after an anti-poaching dog alerted her handlers at about 4.30am on Monday, the reserve said in a statement.

Items found around the bodies led rangers to believe the deceased were up to illegal activity.

“They were armed with, amongst other things, a high powered rifle with a silencer, an axe, wire cutters and had food supplies for a number of days – all the hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino and removing their horns,” a Sibuya owner Nick Fox said.

“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.

Mr Fox said it is not unusual to hear the lions at night.

“However, it now appears likely that the dog had been alerted by something else out of the ordinary coming from the lions.

“We found enough body parts and three pairs of empty shoes which suggest to us that the lions ate at least three of them but it is thick bush and there could be more."

The rangers contacted the police and the anti-poaching authorities.

As of Thursday night, it was still unclear how many alleged poachers had entered the park and how many had died. 

Vets tranquilised the lions so they could be assessed by police forensic teams, with the park’s anti-poaching unit scouring the area for clues.