A man has accused Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers of threatening his life after he blasted Olarro Conservancy, Mara Elephant Project (MEP) and KWS for smuggling an infant elephant.
In a post dated January 6, the man identified as Sekerot Ole Mpetti claimed that the conservancy conspired with MEP to separate an infant elephant from its mother on January 2 using gunfire in the Oloirien Area next to Ripoi.
According to him, the incident was premeditated because conservancy managers got at the scene of incident at around 2 pm, separated the calf from the rest of the herd by 3.30 pm and had it airlifted by David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) by 5 pm.
“Why the hasty decision making? The community here is asking why heavy gunfire is being used next to their settlement areas to create scenarios that do not exist. Olarro did not do any aerial checks, they did not allow the mother elephant to return to the area,” he said.
He now claims that he has been receiving threatening calls from a Mr Too attached to the KWS Narok County Office.
“Fellow Kenyans, After I posted about the smuggling of the infant elephant by Olarro Conservancy in partnership with MEP and KWS, I have started getting intimidating & threatening phone calls. Yesterday, a Mr Too who sits at the KWS Narok County Office called me and asked me to go to their office because they have an issue to raise with me,” a post dated January 7 reads in part.
Mr Mpetti further accuses Olarro conservancy manager William Hofmeyr of using KWS officers to intimidate locals.
In fact he recounts catching Mr Hofmeyr trying to trap a leopard and using a goat as bait.
He has also claimed that the manager faked his October arrow injury. Hofmeyr said that the injury was inflicted by a Maasai warrior he found sleeping under a tree.
Read: Driver Charges At Tourist With Machete At Masai Mara Reserve (Video)
According to him, he was only trying to warn the warrior of a hungry pride of lions nearby when he got shot.
Speaking to the Herald Newspaper, Hofmeyr said that he fired two warning shots forcing his attacker to flee. He chased after him for about an hour but later lost his tracks.
But the Standard reported that he was shot by locals over a 15 year lease agreement for the 30,000 acre Olarro Group Ranch.
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