Four arrested with tusks, leopard skin

Elgeyo Marakwet: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers have recovered elephant tusks and two leopard skins and arrested four suspected poachers.

The suspects who included a pastor from a local church and a woman were arrested in two separate incidents.

Two suspects aboard a motorcycle were nabbed at Kaptuli trading centre along Iten-Eldoret road with the items.

The game trophies, tusks weighing 7kg and two leopard skins, were stashed in a gunny bag and wrapped with an old clothing.

And in Kapsero village which boarders Trans Nzoia county, a woman and a man were arrested by KWS officers posing as ivory traders with three elephant tusks weighing 3kg.

The arrests come a few days after China, which animals conservators believe is the largest consumer of illegal ivory leading to the slaughter of thousands of African elephants each year, imposed a one-year ban on ivory carvings imports.

Area KWS warden Dominic Kilonzo said the suspects were arrested following a tip-off.

"My officers, acting on a tip-off posed as ivory buyers and the suspects agreed to sell the game trophies to them after haggling for the price," said Mr Kilonzo.

Kilonzo said he believed the tusks are of mountainous elephants and had been stored for a long time because most of them had chipped off.

The warden said the suspects were being held at Iten police station and will be taken to court on Monday.