Kenyan authorities arrest serial poacher, recover elephant tusks

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) authorities said Tuesday they have a notorious suspected poacher in the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve and recovered elephant tusks worthy 2 million shillings (23,175 U. S. dollars). Trans Mara KWS Warden William Kiptoo said his officers were carrying out an operation when they sighted three poachers who were armed with guns with two of them managing to escape at the Kawai area in Narok County. Kiptoo said his officers arrested William Kinyamar at around 2 a.m. local time on Tuesday after which they took him with the 10 kg elephant tusks in his possession to the Kilgoris police station. "The arrest of the suspect is an achievement to us since he belongs to a dangerous cartel that is involved in poaching of wildlife in the Maasai Mara and we have launched a manhunt for his two accomplices," Kiptoo said. Kiptoo said that his officers have intensified patrols in order to arrest all the poachers who are behind the killing of elephants in the Maasai Mara in the recent past warning that their days are numbered and that they will very soon face the full force of the law. Kinyamar was on Tuesday brought before Kilgoris Resident Magistrate Monica Munyendo accused of having been found in possession of elephant tusks jointly with others not before the court. Kinyamar was also accused of having been found in possession of an illegal firearm on the same date jointly with others not before the court at Kawai area after which he denied both charges and was released on a bond and a surety of similar amount. The case was set for mentioning on Jan. 3 and for hearing on Feb. 3.