The Tragedies of Poaching: Rangers Killed in Tsavo

Sadly, we are once again faced with a poaching-related tragedy. This time, however, we are mourning the loss of two of Kenya Wildlife Service's (KWS) rangers who were killed on May 11, 2003 in a valiant effort to protect the wildlife of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya.

The rangers died in a valiant effort to protect the wildlife of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. The rangers encountered a gang of poachers at approximately five o'clock in the afternoon (5:00 p.m.) on Sunday, May 11th. During the first clash, one ranger was killed along with one of the poachers. Reinforcements tracked the poachers throughout the night, making contact with them at eight o'clock in the morning (8:00 a.m.) on Monday, May 12th. The second ranger, along with another poacher, was killed in this second confrontation.

Unfortunately, as long as there is a market for ivory, the lives of rangers and the magnificent creatures that they are working to protect will continue to be at risk. While much progress has been made to curb illegal ivory sales and poaching, there is clearly a need for even greater vigilance from local communities, landowners, non-governmental organizations, and conservationists.

Tsavo National Park, where the two KWS rangers were killed, represents an important conservation area. Among its many species, Tsavo hosts the single largest expanse of protected black rhino habitat in Kenya. While a few years ago, Tsavo was under great threat from poachers, local communities and non-governmental organizations have been working together to increase security in the park in hopes to bring back both the rhino and elephants populations. In an effort to help, AWF has helped provide, among other things, funding and support to help build and maintain fences, repair ranger house, and provide tools and equipment to help the rangers in their work.

To ensure that we do not experience another tragedy, more collaborative efforts among local communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are critical.