Sometimes a game reserve’s best security system has golden eyes and a very big appetite. Sibuya’s owners say the lions were never meant to guard anything, but in July 2018 that is exactly what happened.
A Night Raid That Went Wrong
Sibuya Game Reserve lies near Kenton-on-Sea in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Owner Nick Fox says suspected poachers entered the property on foot on the night of July 1, 2018, or in the early hours of July 2. They carried a rifle fitted with a silencer, an axe, wire cutters and a backpack of food, which Fox described as the hallmarks of “a gang intent on killing rhino and removing their horns.”
At around 4:30 a.m. on July 2, one of the reserve’s anti-poaching dogs alerted her handler that something was wrong. The handler heard a commotion from the lion camp but didn’t investigate. Noise from the lions at that hour was normal.
The Discovery
On the following day, a game guide spotted what looked like human remains near the lions and alerted the anti-poaching unit. The darkness and the presence of the lions made it unsafe to approach. On Wednesday morning a vet tranquilized the whole pride of six, giving staff and police roughly 90 minutes to search.
Investigators recovered remains that were taken to the Department of Health for forensic testing. Police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said the investigation continued. Because the remains were scattered across thick bush, Fox could only estimate that two, and probably three, people had been killed. Three pairs of shoes were found at the scene, and the poachers apparently never fired a shot.
Why Poachers Targeted Sibuya
This wasn’t the reserve’s first encounter with poachers. In 2016, a gang killed three rhinos at Sibuya and cut off their horns, wiping out the reserve’s breeding herd according to Fox. South Africa’s rhinos remain under heavy pressure from demand for horn in parts of Asia. The country lost 1,028 rhinos to poachers in 2017, according to its Department of Environmental Affairs.
Fox said security at the roughly 25-square-kilometer reserve had been increased, with extra cameras installed to monitor the rhinos. The reserve stayed open for business, and Fox indicated he would keep the pride.
A Message From the Owner
Fox’s response was blunt but not triumphant. “Whilst we are saddened at any loss of life,” he said, the poachers had come to kill the reserve’s animals, and the incident sent a clear message that they won’t always win. Police have emphasized that the men were only suspected poachers and that the investigation was ongoing.
Planning a Safari? Do It Responsibly
South Africa’s reserves depend on tourism to fund the work of protecting wildlife, so travelers can play a part:
- Safari packages. Compare South Africa safari packages, luxury game lodges and Eastern Cape wildlife tours.
- Travel protection. Review international travel insurance, medical evacuation coverage and trip cancellation insurance.
- Conservation. Support rhino conservation donations, anti-poaching charities and adopt-a-rhino programs.
- Gear. Look at safari binoculars, telephoto camera lenses and travel vaccination clinics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the incident happen? It happened at the Sibuya Game Reserve, near Kenton-on-Sea in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, in early July 2018.
How many people were killed? It is not known exactly. Owner Nick Fox estimated two or three, based on the remains and shoes found, and police were still investigating.
How did the reserve find out? An anti-poaching dog alerted her handler early on July 2, and a game guide spotted human remains near the lions on the following day.
Why would poachers target rhinos? Rhino horn is in demand in parts of Asia, and South Africa recorded 1,028 poached rhinos in 2017.
What happened to the lions? The reserve’s six lions were tranquilized so investigators could search the scene safely, and the owner indicated he would keep the pride.
Sources: Atlanta Black Star, HeraldLIVE, Sowetan Live, the Sunday Times, and Daily Dispatch, all covering the July 2018 incident at the Sibuya Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, in which suspected rhino poachers were killed by lions.
Karma by the wildlife !
I hope none of the lions got sick from eating the trash
Well said.
Totally 😁 agree. Well done 👍 lions
Good for the Lions! They did their bit to stop Rhino poaching.
Can’t say I have any sympathy for them. They got what they deserved.
Good
Good kitties.
How wonderful that Karma has struck so successfully.
Bon Appétit
This is nature’s payback for doing bad things. Hopefully future hunters will warned and obey the law!!!
You go Lion Pride!!! Hope you don’t get sick.
Karma Well done lions.
Good job lionesses! Karma at its best!
What goes around comes around! they knew the risks when they entered the reserve – the rule of the jungle applies.
Well done Kitties 🐱
you better brlieve it. those bastards got what they deserved.
These people should start collecting finger nail clippings and get done with these horrid practices. Tragic. At least this lot won’t do it again…..
Great news let’s hope it happens more
Although the practice of hunting poachers is legal in that area, I do not condone that particular practice, however, in this particular instance, this is natures karma coming back around. I think the purposeful taking of a human life is reprehensible, this does not fall into that category at all. Good for you nature, take back what if yours….
The rarity of horns and tusks increases their value. Rather than destroy the confiscated tusks and horns why not flood the market with them ? The animals are no longer alive either way and the monetary reward should diminish enough to discourage such a risk to the poachers. Monetary reward is the driving factor behind their behavior.
It is easy to not tolerate this behaviour, but if you lived in a poor area in Africa with a family and had to put bread on the table and no other work was to be found I too would perhaps poach to keep my family alive. Surely human life is more important . For those who do it for sport or greed than find employment elsewhere then they may learn the hard way. We are so quick to judge those around us. Especialy when we have food all around us at our finger tips.
Well done lion and lionesses
Eat Fresh !
I think we are all in agreement
Lions are really the kings —they protect their subjects. Well done!
I hope these lions are well contained again. Man eaters can’t tell a poacher from another human who could be prey. While poaching is reprehensible lions eating people isn’t much better.
It surprises me that the poachers didn’t shoot the lions. Maybe they were sleeping when they were killed.
Why don’t refuges dehorn it’s rhinos? The incentive for killing them would be gone.
Same with elephant tusks.
It won’t help the gorillas whose hands are what people want.
Even domestic animals are becoming extinct and there are no protections for them at all.
Too many people, too much grass fed beef so if we keep this up without making changes we all might become extinct.
Hope you all enjoyed your fresh meal, and well done to all you lions 👍😍❤️
This is the well known result of karma which means action: unwholesome action brings suffering!