The ‘Devil’ Gets His Due: Elephant Poaching Kingpin Arrested

[Omaha Steve]

Authorities allege Boniface Matthew Mariango’s gangs are responsible for thousands of elephant deaths across Africa.



(Photo: Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)

OCT 30, 2015John R. Platt covers the environment, technology, philanthropy, and more for Scientific American, Conservation, Lion, and other publications.

https://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/30/devil-captured-elephant-poaching-kingpin-arrested?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2015-10-30-PoachingKingpinArrested


Tanzanian officials have arrested a poacher and smuggler whom they say is responsible for thousands of elephant deaths across several African nations.

Boniface Matthew Mariango—nicknamed “Shetani,” or the “Devil”—was arrested on Oct. 29 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after evading authorities for more than a year. According to Tanzania’s National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit Task Force, Mariango allegedly managed up to 15 criminal poaching and ivory smuggling syndicates. He is accused of operating in Burundi, Zambia, Mozambique, and southern Kenya for several years. Information from an informant is said to have led to his arrest.

The arrest comes one month after the similar capture, also in Tanzania, of a Chinese woman named Yang Feng Glan. She has been called the “Queen of Ivory” and is charged with smuggling 706 elephant tusks. Authorities allege she has been an active ivory smuggler for the past decade.

Conservationists estimate that about 96 elephants are killed every day for their ivory, which is smuggled out of Africa to countries such as China and the United States.

FULL story at link.

[840high]

1. kick

[Raster]

2. this "devil" will not get his due until he is violently impaled on the tusks...

...of an outrageously pissed-off, magnificent bull elephant with an attitude. Madame Glan can join Mariango on the "rack."

[HuckleB]

3. Recommended!

I'm currently reading Carl Safina's "Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel," and it's harrowing what elephants have gone through.

[rhett o rick]

4. k & r. Thanks for posting. nm