Person Found Dead After Encounter With Elephant Herd in National Park

A suspected poacher has been found dead inside South Africa’s Kruger National Park after he and an accomplice encountered a herd of elephants and fled.

In a statement published on Sunday, Sept. 13, South African National Parks (SANParks) shared that Kruger National Park rangers received information on Sept. 12, “regarding two suspected poachers who allegedly illegally entered the Park through the Pafuri area on Friday, 11 September 2026.”

According to the statement, the two men came upon a herd of elephants while illegally inside the park and became separated as they ran from the animals.

“Preliminary information suggests that the two suspects encountered a herd of elephants while inside the park and fled in different directions, subsequently losing contact with one another,” SANParks said. “One of the suspects later returned home and reported that his accomplice was missing, indicating that he had heard him screaming during the incident.”

The local community helped arrest the surviving suspect after the matter was reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“The individual subsequently admitted to participating in the unlawful entry into the park and accompanied SANParks Rangers from the Pafuri Ranger Post to the area where the incident reportedly occurred,” the statement noted.

“Rangers followed tracks from the Luvuvhu River for roughly a mile into the park when they discovered the body of the missing suspect,” SANParks added. “During the search, the remains of a buffalo, believed to have been illegally hunted, were also found.”