Mauled To Death By Lions | Poacher Eaten To Death By Pack Of Lions He Was Hunting

A big cat poacher eaten to death by the pride of lions he was hunting at a private game reserve in South Africa. The hunter was heard calling for help as he was attacked at the Engel, a private nature reserve in Hodes Pruitt. The lions rapidly killed their victim and devoured most of his body before being chased off. The head was left untouched.

Police at first thought the dead man was a tractor motorist who worked at the Game Reserve. But when he turned up alive they realise he may have been a poacher. A hunting rifle was seen close to what was left of the blood-drenched body. Police in Limpopo have called in the Department of Home Affairs to help them to try to identify the dead man who was not carrying documents.

Police lieutenant colonel Mochan Gope said the process of identifying this torso has already commenced. It might be made easier as his head was amongst the remains found at the scene. The owned of the reserve who identified himself as Josh said he was told not to speak to the media. The reason being that police investigation was still under way.

A local employee from a nearby Nature Reserve described the region as lion region. He said the brain was still there but the Lions had eaten the majority of members of his torso. A loud holler was hear and the Lions were scattered by the sound of gunshots. But it was too late to do anything for him he was already eaten. Mr. Gope confirmed police were investigating the prospect the deceased might have been a poacher after a hunting rifle was observed near the scene.

Lions kill up to 250 people a year in Africa and a male weighs 190 kilograms and a female 130 kilograms. They can ran at over 80 kph and there are less than 20,000 left in the wild in Africa. Their bones have become highly prized in the the Far East with a skeleton retrieving up to 7,000 pounds and the skin 3,000 pounds. Teeth can retrieve 500 pounds each.

British wildlife photographer Charlie linam 59 from liverpool who now lives close to the reserve has spent years photographing the resident lion pride that lives there. He arrived at the gates shortly after the alarm was raised and the paramedics had raised in. Mr Linen was told that the suspected poacher had been killed. He added that it was not yet clear whether the two attacks had happened inside Engel Allah or in a neighboring reserve.

It turns out it was not the residents pride that lives here responsible as they were on a buffalo kill at the time of the incident. Another pride perhaps may of come over from the Kruger National Park. He said it happened on the border of the unbaked Game Reserve after dark and may have been on their reserve. Six big game dry autumns and ammunition were found at the scene and that is the weapon of option used by those hunting big game. Especially elephant and rhino in the bush.

'I cannot say if it was poachers as the matter is under investigation but that is their weapon of choice and they usually work in groups of three and work under cover of darkness. Two sets of footprints have been found running away and obviously the dead and eaten man.'

It is believed by Mr Linum that there were no anti pouching groups in the area at the time of the incident. During the hours of daylight, lions are rarely a danger to others. It's after dark that lions then become very dangerous,

'It is purely speculation on my part but it would seem they either walked into a pride of lions in the darkness or they were stalked and attacked and a man was taken down and eaten.

'The other two it seems ran off and two .456 big game rifles were found and ammunition.

He said he had been photographing the Ingwelala pride for years and was 'concerned in case it was them in case they got accused of attacking humans and there were calls to kill them.'

'But it was not our pride and was probably one from the Kruger that come over the border,' he said.

'If you go out walking in the bush in the dark then I am afraid you are fair game in the wild and there is no way that anyone can attribute any blame to those lions for this kill.'

This comes just a matter of months after a previous incident involving a poacher. Lieutenant Uhura Rukia was killed after a rhino charged at him. Poacher Uhura was hunting for the rhino's horn in nearby Namibia.