A truck driver and his conductor were Friday arrested at Kirumbi area in Voi sub-county along Nairobi-Mombasa Highway transporting a carcass of a full-grown giraffe and a zebra poached from Tsavo National Park.
The carcasses were stuffed inside the container of a trailer belonging to Mombasa Cement Company.
Acting on intelligence, officers drawn from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and police officers from Voi Police Station laid an ambush for the trailer that was headed to Mombasa. Upon being stopped, the two carcasses were discovered.
The driver, a male aged 30 and his conductor, 32, were taken to Voi Police Station where they are being held before appearing in court.
Speaking to KNA, County Police Commander Saidi Kiprotich said the two suspects would be arraigned in court to face charges related to poaching.
He commended the smooth coordination between security agencies that led to the nabbing of two suspected poachers.
“We will continue to work together to ensure we stamp out criminal elements from our society,” he said.
On that same day, another operation at Kulalu in the boundary of Voi sub-county and Kwale saw two more suspected poachers arrested after they were found with a full carcass of a zebra and six dick dicks. Two motorcycles transporting the meat were also impounded. Pangas and torches which were used in the hunt were taken as exhibits.
Conservationists are calling for more efforts towards protection of giraffes which are emerging as the new favorite target for poachers due to the skin and meat. According to African Wildlife Foundation, giraffes are found in average herds of fewer than six individuals from herds of 20’s and 30’s.
Habitat loss, illegal hunting and exponential growth of human population that has continued to take up more land for development are some of the factors attributed to decline of giraffe population.
In March, the world was stunned after a rare white giraffe and her calf were killed by poachers at Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in Garissa County.
By Wagema Mwangi
Two suspected poachers arrested carrying giraffe and zebra carcasses
