Kenyan authorities said Wednesday they had shot and killed an off-duty wildlife ranger on a game reserve in central Kenya and had launched an investigation into his alleged involvement in a poaching gang. The unidentified ranger was accompanying a group of apparent poachers at the Lewa ranch based in Solio near the town of Nyeri on Tuesday when he was killed in a gunbattle with Kenya Wildlife Service and police officers, the KWS said.
The agency has opened "a thorough investigation into the incident -- specifically (into) the presence of the ranger amongst suspected poachers," it said. An unknown number of people with the slain ranger escaped, it added.
The incident occured after staff at the ranch, which has lost more than 10 rhinos to poachers over the past 18 months, reported hearing gunshots and KWS and police officers arrived on the scene to investigate.
Last week, Kenyan authorities said they were boosting anti-poaching patrols in the country's main wildlife areas amid an apparent surge in the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade.