[ad_1]
During a joint covert operation against suspected rhino poaching in southern Zimbabwe International Anti-Poaching Fund (IAPF) Early Sunday evening, the ranger was knocked off the road by two vehicles. Then the suspects, using ranger laces, tied his hands to the steering wheel, covered his head with a jacket, doused the car with fuel and set it on fire.
Miraculously, he was able to escape through the window when they began to explode from the heat of the fire. The victim sustained severe burns on 30% of his body and was airlifted to a private hospital where he was stabilized, kept in isolation under protection and is expected to take a long time to recover.
Shortly before the incident, local agencies arrested two suspects in connection with alleged rhino poaching, and the remainder of the investigation is ongoing.
“This particular ranger has long been one of our most fearless and dedicated wildlife crime fighters. “With a heavy heart, such heroes committed to nature fall prey to execution-style attacks,” IAPF founder and CEO Damien Mander said in a statement posted to WAN. “However, it is a state of the world that we have created for ourselves to govern, where everything has a price, and that nature must be defended daily by those who are willing to pay the highest price.”
The IAPF expresses its sincere gratitude to everyone involved in assisting with the evacuation, recovery and ongoing operations.
Founded in 2009, IAPF plays an important role in the fight against wildlife crime in and around Zimbabwe. IAPF, working with local authorities, participated in the arrest 292 suspects only since early 2020 involved in wildlife crime in Zimbabwe. According to the organization’s reports, the number of convictions for these arrests was 89.2%.
Please help the International Poaching Foundation continue its incredible wilderness work by making a donation today. HERE!
The message is breaking! A ranger from the International Anti-Poaching Fund, seriously injured in an alleged revenge attack, first appeared in World Animal News.
[ad_2]
Source link