Two rhino poachers die after slamming into goat while fleeing rangers

Bubye Valley Conservancy, in Zimbabwe, is the home to more than 100,000 mammals including 700 elephants, 7000 buffalo, 500 lions, 220 black rhino and thousands of head of plains game. Photo / 123RF

Two suspected rhino poachers in Zimbabwe were killed in a collision with a goat.

According to Nehanda Radio, the incident took place last Wednesday at Bubye Valley Conservancy, on the outskirts of Beitbridge.

Game park rangers tracked and chased the alleged poachers, leading to the two men speeding off in a high-speed car chase when they hit a goat and overturned.

Godfrey Makechemu and Charles Runye died following the crash due to their injuries.

There were two other suspected poachers in the vehicle who survived the accident and have been charged with hunting a specially protected animal in violation of the Parks and Wildlife Act, the state-run Chronicle reported.

Prosecutor Misheck Guwanda said the four men fled in their Toyota Wish car when they saw park rangers following them.

Guwanda revealed the men's tracks indicated they were following the rhino's spoor.

"Acting on a tip-off, a police mobile unit saw the suspected poachers coming out of Bubye Valley Conservancy and heading towards a nearby Jopembe village and pursued them," he added.

A rifle with a telescopic sight was found at the scene of the crash.

The four were part of an alleged poaching gang which hunts rhinos at the Bubye Valley Conservancy, revealed Eyewitness News.

Rhinos in the wildlife sanctuary are under increasing threat, according to Eyewitness News. Last month two poachers were killed during a gunfight with game rangers inside the park.