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Elephant Tramples 'Suspected Poacher' To Death In Zimbabwe

Elephant Tramples 'Suspected Poacher' To Death In Zimbabwe
Sara C Nelson
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An elephant in Zimbabwe has trampled to death a suspected poacher who was reportedly attempting to shoot the beast dead.

The remains of Solomon Manjoro were discovered in the Charara National Park in Gatshe-Gatshe, local paper The Sunday Mail revealed.

Manjoro was found by police after his associate Noluck Tafuruka was arrested on allegations of possessing firearms without a licence.

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The elephant is believed to have charged at Solomon Manjoro after he tried to shoot it (file picture)

The Telegraph reports Majoro was likely killed when the animal charged towards him after he tried to gun it down.

A third man, Godfrey Shonge, has also been arrested over the incident. The pair appeared in court last week to face charges of illegal possession of firearms and of contravening local wildlife laws.

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The magistrate heard Majoro and Tafuruka had entered the park between April 19 and 26 "with the sole intention of poaching".

Ivory sales were banned in 1989 but a black market trade in tusks continues to boom.

Africa's elephant population was estimated at between 5 million and 10 million before European hunters colonised the continent, the Associated Press says.

Massive poaching for the ivory trade in the 1980s halved the remaining number of African elephants to about 600,000.

Elephant Poaching
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An injured wild elephant tries to stand after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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Indian forest officials, on domestic elephants, try to push an injured wild elephant after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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An Indian forest official tries to feed an injured wild elephant with bananas after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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An Indian forest official tries to feed a banana to an injured wild elephant after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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An Indian forest official throws water on an injured wild elephant to clean it after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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An injured wild elephant tries to eat a banana leaf with its trunk after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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An injured wild elephant struggles as it tries to drink water from a mud puddle after it was attacked by poachers a number of days ago at the foothills of Pancharatna Hills in Goalpara district of lower Assam, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The poachers cut off two tusks and the tail of the elephant, who is now expected to survive, according to local animal officials. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (credit:AP)
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In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, Malaysian customs officers pose as they display elephant tusks which were recently seized in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysian authorities have seized 1,500 elephant tusks in a $20 million shipment that was believed to have been headed to China. (AP Photo) (credit:AP)
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In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, Malaysian customs officers pose as they display elephant tusks which were recently seized in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysian authorities have seized 1,500 elephant tusks in a $20 million shipment that was believed to have been headed to China. (AP Photo) (credit:AP)
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IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR WWF-Canon - Mba Ndong Marius, a Parcs Gabon Eco Guard, holds up a poached leopard skin in front of a collection of seized elephant tusk ivory and weapons on Monday, June 25, 2012, in Gabon. More than 1,000 rangers worldwide have lost their lives protecting wild places and protected species in the last ten years, according to the WWF. Perceived by organized criminals to be high profit and low risk, the illicit trade in wildlife is worth at least US$ 19 billion per year, making it the fourth largest illegal global trade after narcotics, counterfeiting, and human trafficking, according to a new report commissioned by WWF. Besides driving many endangered species towards extinction, illegal wildlife trade strengthens criminal networks, undermines national security, and poses increasing risks to global health, according to the WWF report, Fighting illicit wildlife trafficking: A consultation with governments, which will be unveiled today at a briefing for United Nations ambassadors in New York. (WWF-Canon/James Morgan via AP Images) (credit:AP)
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