Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Taita Ranch, Southern Kenya
Close to Tsavo East & Tsavo West National Parks

The elephant was female, aged about 27. She was 20 months pregnant. On 14th June 2008 poachers shot her with poisoned metal arrows and followed her as she stumbled miles through the African bush. After two days of agony she dropped. She tried to give birth to her calf before she died.

Wildlife rangers from the neighbouring Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary ambushed the poachers when they had just killed the female. They were in the process of butchering her and hacking off her face to remove her tusks. It is suspected these would have been smuggled to China. Two of the poachers were arrested and taken to Voi police station but two got away. Kenya Wildlife Service followed up the case and the two men were each sentenced to six years in prison.

“Just one dead elephant and her dead calf. Just one story. Sickening, grotesque, etched on your mind. The atrocious reality. Every day 55 elephants are killed and chopped apart by poachers. We can’t let this continue. Help us stop this. We want to help Rukinga Sanctuary’s brave rangers and support anti-poaching patrols across Africa.”

Will Travers,
Chief Executive, Born Free Foundation