Call it what you like, what comes around goes around or it’s karma, either way a poacher hunting rhinos in the Kruger National Park was stomped on by an elephant and eaten by a pride of lions. I call it nature’s retribution and teamwork.
Without wishing to be being cruel or maliciously minded, I am pleased. It’s an example of nature striking back. Four of his colleagues fled the game reserve in terror. They were picked up by police and they explained to them what happened to their associate.
Apparently a hungry elephant surprised them as they were stalking rhino and stamped on the man. It happened in area called Crocodile Bridge. Kruger Park Rangers searched for the dead man with a helicopter.
They found what was left of the him; his head and limbs, a while later. A piece of his clothing was also recovered (see picture). The dead poacher’s shoe was also found not far from his rifle and ammunition.
The four men who survived are in custody. The truth of the matter is though that rhino poachers are successful too often. It’s too hard to protect the rhinos despite cleaver schemes. In this instance nature struck back but the general trend is downwards for rhino population sizes as is the case for many other of the iconic animals of Africa.
Animal Farm
Remember the George Orwell novella Animal Farm in which farm animals revolted against the farmer, against humans? This African story has a similar flavour. I wish the African animals could discuss revolution against abusive humans and their failure to protect them in a human world. Nature needs to strike back and it will one day. When nature has had enough humans will pay.