In a turn of events that has put a smile on the faces of millions of people around the world and six lions, 3 poachers became the hunted last week and were seen off the Sibuya Game Reserve near Kenton-on-Sea and the planet as a midnight lion snack.Aside from one head and a couple of assorted body parts, there was so little of the poachers left when they were discovered on 6 July, the only way police could identify that there were 3 of them was by counting their boots.Also found were hunting rifles, axes, silencers and enough food to last for several days, which is why authorities knew they were there for rhinoceros horns. The park owners very graciously said, “While we are saddened at any loss of life, the poachers came here to kill our animals and this sends out a very clear message to any other poachers that you will not always be the winner.” Tee hee.Lions really are the guardians of South African reserves as poachers being eaten by them isn't an unusual event. Another poacher was mauled to death and eaten by a pack of lions close to the Kruger National Park in February this year.With apologies for being so ungracious about the subject myself, it's hard to have sympathy for the kind of people who slaughter rhinoceros and hack off their horns for $250,000 a kilo. Or the people who buy from them.Protecting rhinoceros, elephants and cats from poachers is an ongoing battle for Africa and one that we wrote about recently with the IAPF Akashinga women who are among the first women to take on roles as anti poachers.This year, nine rhinos have been killed by poachers on Eastern Cape reserves, including Bella, a white rhino at the Kragga Kamma Game Park, was killed just a week after she had been dehorned to stop poachers taking her. The poachers took what was left of one horn from her head.
The Sibuya Game Reserve is home to the 'big five' and is a very popular reserve with tourists.