Serial Poacher Surrenders

A self-confessed serial poacher in the world renowned Lewa Downs Conservancy has surrendered and given himself up to the authorities in Isiolo County. 

 Left, the serial reformed poacher holding his illegally acquired gun that he has used over years to kill wildlife in Lewa Downs Conservancy in Isiolo.

Keleshi Parkusaa 39, also surrendered a gun and ten rounds of ammunition at a public forum on December 30, 2013 organized by the conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service and witnessed by elders from the Samburu community, County administrators and the police. 

Parkusaa, a former employee of Lewa Downs Conservancy, told a hushed audience how he organized the killing of wildlife even when he was employed to protect them for three years. “While working here, I used to direct fellow poachers on where to locate rhinos in the conservancy and would derail fellow game scouts to the opposite direction” he told the attentive crowd.

His latest slaughter was on December 12, 2013 when he and his two accomplices used their illegally acquired gun to shoot dead a huge rhino in the conservancy. Ian Craig, a shareholder of the conservancy and a member of KWS Board of Trustees termed the killing as most unfortunate noting the felled rhino was the biggest the 30 year old conservancy has ever had.

Poachers have killed seven rhinos in the conservancy this year. The reformed poacher confessed of having been personally engaged in the killing of two rhinos with his four accomplices. “We sold the horn of one of the rhinos and each of us got Sh300,000, but this only helped to ruin my life”, he said.

The management of the conservancy was suspicious of Parkusaa and he was once arrested and charged at an Isiolo court for suspected poaching. He was released on bail with elders from his community assisting him raise the bond. The case is still pending in court and he has since been sacked. “Sometimes buyers of contraband wildlife products get them from us promising to pay later but never show up” a pensive Parkusaa narrated. The father of four said the buyers are from all nationalities including Asians, Europeans and Africans.

 

The self-confessed poacher hands over a gun and ten rounds of ammunition to KWS and County Administrators in Isiolo.

An elder from Parkusaa’s Samburu community Karumba Ole Melinyo said Wazees (old men ) will perform rituals to “cleanse” their wayward son and advise him on alternative sources of income like livestock rearing. 

KWS Senior Assistant Director, Mr. Robert Muasya (second right in picture) said the reformed poacher’s case will be considered with a view to pardoning him and urged community elders to encourage more poachers to come forward and publicly denounce their illegal activities. He said Kenya has lost 60 rhinos to poachers this year and appealed to community leaders to join hands with KWS to apprehend them.

Mr. Muasya expressed optimism that with the new Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill, 2013 now passed into law, the punitive penalties spelt out will deter would-be poachers from this illegal practice.