Kenya arrests 2 suspected elephant poachers

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Monday arrested two suspected poachers with six elephant tusks in Narok County, northwest Kenya.

Narok North police commander Paul Leting said the two were arrested following a tip-off from members who alerted the KWS officers.

Leting said the officers posed as potential customers before ambushing and arrested them with the 62 kilograms of ivory.

"We intercepted them as they were trying to look for market probably in Nairobi where there are many dealers dealing with illegal game trophies," said Leting.

The police commander said that the other accomplice, who is believed to be behind increasing poaching activities in Mara Ecosystem, fled after he realized the KWS rangers are pursuing them.

He added that according to the reports they have, the suspects are not working alone; there are cartels behind the poaching activities in the region.

Leting appealed to the locals to be alert on those behind poaching activities in the area and help the government's efforts to reduce the vice in the region.

He also said that police and KWS rangers have heightened surveillance to nab poachers.

KWS Narok County warden Francis Muchirih said the poachers have devised new method of killings wildlife by using poisonous arrows so as not to be detected by security agencies.

"The poachers are using a certain powder that is poisonous to smear on their spears and arrows to kill the elephants and rhinos in order to avoid being detected by the KWS especially in the private conservancies," said Muchirih.

The warden said the KWS officers are on the pursuit of the other poachers who have been mercilessly killing the jumbos in the Maasai Mara game reserve.

Siana Wildlife Trust chairman Sammy Nkoitoi said rampant poaching in Maasai Mara ecosystem, if not checked, was going to kill tourism in the reserve. Endi