A 30 year old elephant was on Sunday killed by poachers at Laikipia Nature Conservancy ranch and its tusks and tail removed.
The conservancy director Kuki Gallman said its carcass was found deep inside the forested ranch by security guards on their regular patrols.
She said the poachers killed the elephant using their new methods of using spears dipped in poisonous concoctions, saying they have realized that using guns was attracting attention due to the gun shots.
“The carcass was still fresh by the time we arrived there,” she said.
Kuki noted that the poachers are hiding among illegal herders who have infiltrated Laikipia County from Samburu and Baringo County.
She said that the poachers must have entered the ranch using the southern route bordering Baringo to evade the security personnel.
“These herders are causing a lot of problems in Laikipia County since besides escalating poaching activities, they are also grazing on local people’s crops and stealing livestock,” she said.
Kuki urged the Government to move with speed and arrest the poachers saying that the trend might come up once again in the ranch which has over 500 elephants.
Ngarua sub county assistant commissioner Rufus Kihara said that no arrests had been made but police were pursuing the poachers. He asked the public to report any person found with elephant tusks.
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