Tuesday, the 22nd of January 2012 - In the wake of the increased incidents of elephant poaching, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) today chalked up a big victory against the poachers by confiscating ivory worth Ksh 4 million from suspected poachers at Kacheliba in West Pokot County.
The wardens were successful in seizing the ivory but the two armed poachers who were found with it managed to make a clean break. According to the KWS, the ivory confiscated today weighs about 100 kilograms and would fetch a very handsome price in the black market.
Area KWS Assistant Director Mr. Daniel Onsembe however floated the possibility that, given the size of the tusks, they could have been poached from across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Onsembe added that he and his charges were putting plans in place to make life as difficult as possible for the poachers.
A few weeks ago Kenya was awakened to the reality of increased incidents of elephant poaching when 12 elephants were found shot in the Tsavo National Park.
KWS says it suspects the elephants in the Tsavo were shot from the air.