Big Game Hunter Found Murdered Near Africa's Kruger Wildlife Reserve
A 55-year-old trophy hunter was founded dead next to his truck near the Kruger National Park wildlife reserve in South Africa, authorities confirmed.
According to the U.K.’s Independent, Riaan Naude was found shot at “close range” in Marken Road, Limpopo, on June 8.
Local outlet Sowetan Live reported the incident occurred during daytime near the R518 highway.
“The deceased was wearing a blue T-shirt and brown trousers. He was wearing an empty firearm holster against his waist,” Limpopo police spokesman Lt. Col. Mamphaswa Seabi said, according to Sowetan Live.
Authorities recovered one pistol cartridge on the scene, Sowetan Live reported. Police said they were not sure whether the assailant used Naude’s own weapon to kill him.
“The man was lying with his face up and there was blood on his head and face,” Seabi said, according to the Independent.
A local cattle herder nearby told law enforcement that he had heard the sound of a gunshot and had seen a white NP300 pickup truck driving away around the time of the incident, Sowetan Live reported.
When police arrived at the scene, they saw the rear of Naude’s vehicle was opened and they found a blue water container next to it, the outlet reported.
“The deceased was carrying two hunting firearms, clothes, water, whiskey, sleeping clothes and many live rounds,” Seabi said.
According to the police spokesman, Naude appeared to be “going hunting and camping somewhere around Sterkrevier, as there are many game farms with wild animals in the area.”
Naude owned Pro Hunt Africa, which organized hunting tours for visitors, Global News reported.
Famous South African trophy hunter Riaan Naude was found dead from a gunshot wound next to his truck.
A rancher said he heard a car speed off after the gunshot, police say.https://t.co/Zu0UWKE18G
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 8, 2022
According to the outlet, Naude would charge customers $350 per day for hunting game. He also would charge $2,500 for crocodile hunting and $1,500 for giraffe hunting.
Trophy hunting remains legal in South Africa, although the practice is regulated through quotas on the number of animals one can hunt, according to the outlet.
“South Africa is the second largest exporter of trophies of CITES-listed species globally, exporting 16% of the global total of hunting trophies, 4,204 trophies on average per year,” Humane Society International said in a February report.
The United States is the biggest importer of animal trophies from South Africa, the organization said.
American buyers have purchased 54 percent of the nation’s animal trophy exports, it said.
“The motive for the attack and the subsequent murder is unknown at this stage,” Seabi said, according to Global News.
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