Policeman, warden killed in Kruger gun battle

Police spokesman Colonel Vishnu Naidoo said it was the first time a police officer had been killed in the course of attempts to clamp down on the poaching of rhinoceros for their horns, which fetch high prices in the Far East.

Naidoo said the police officer was on joint patrol with a soldier on Saturday (28 April) near the Kruger Park's Tshokwane picnic area. "They had just received information that there may be potential poachers in the area. They had taken off from their observation point when they came under fire," he said. After the officer was hit, the soldier returned fire and fatally wounded the ranger. Col Naidoo refused to speculate whether the man had been operating with the poachers.

In recent cases, it has emerged that rhino poachers are often accompanied by game professionals, including rangers with local knowledge and veterinarians equipped with dart guns, The Independent says.

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