Kenyan rangers kill 2 poachers, recover ivory trophies

Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) rangers have killed two suspected poachers and recovered ivory and a firearm as other suspects escaped with gunshot wounds during a fierce battle in Samburu, northern Kenya. KWS Isiolo KWS Warden Michael Gichure said Wednesday the rangers managed to recover five elephant trophies worth millions of shillings during the battle with poachers on Tuesday night. Gichure said the officers on a tip-off from the members of the public laid an ambush for the poachers who had hired a taxi to ferry the trophies to Isiolo. He said a taxi driver defied orders to stop after police erected a temporary barrier to arrest the suspects but instead the poachers spread bullets from the moving vehicle causing fierce fire exchange between them. "Our officers were in a land cruiser and they managed to chase after them and gun down two of them and injuring two others before they fled into the bush with bullet wounds during the night raid," Gichure said. He said during the exchange at Kirish, some 65 km from Isiolo town, the ranger and police officers recovered a 303 riffle, eight rounds of ammunition, jungle uniform, five elephant trophies, two mobile phones and 5 loose ammunition. Gichure said the officers managed to kill one of the notorious poacher believed to be behind the killings of rhinos and elephant in the North tourism circuit. The killings come two weeks after police killed a poacher at the Lewa Conservancy and a rifle recovered in a foiled poaching attempt.