Elephants trample suspected poacher in South African national park

A herd of elephants has killed a man believed to be an illegal poacher, while he was fleeing from park rangers in South Africa.

A man has been killed by a herd of elephants while fleeing from rangers in a South African National Park.

According to park officials, the incident occurred on April 17 when rangers at Kruger National Park spotted three men reportedly attempting to poach rhinos.

The suspected poachers dropped an axe and a bag with their provisions as they ran away.

Rangers arrested one of the suspects with the assistance of an aircraft and trained canines, before he told the rangers he wasn’t sure if his partners had managed to escape.

The rangers found a second suspect badly trampled, who had succumbed to his injuries.

RELATED: Poachers ‘eaten alive’ by lions

Three suspected poachers encountered elephants while fleeing from rangers in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Authorities are searching for the third suspect who fled after he injured his eye.

A rifle and the case were discovered and turned over to the police.

The managing executive of the national park, Gareth Coleman, said in a statement it was “unfortunate that a life was unnecessarily lost”.

“The campaign against poaching is the responsibility of all us; it threatens many livelihoods, destroys families and takes much-needed resources to fight crime which could be used for creating jobs and development”, Mr Coleman said.

RELATED: ‘This has never happened before’

The group were reportedly attempting to poach rhinos in Kruger National Park.