A suspected poacher was trampled and killed by a herd of elephants at a South African national park Saturday.
According to a news release from Kruger National Park, field rangers were out on a routine patrol when they spotted three individuals suspected of attempting to poach rhinos.
Officials say the suspects dropped their belongings and attempted to escape from the rangers.
One of the suspects was later arrested and informed the rangers that the group had run into a herd of elephants.
The rangers then found a second suspect badly trampled. He later died from his injuries.
The park said a third suspect was said to have been injured in the eye but continued to flee.
Officials recovered a rifle from the scene and turned the case over to the police and a pathology team. The search for the third suspect is ongoing.
In 2019, a suspected rhino poacher at the same park was killed by an elephant before his body was apparently eaten by lions.
