Three people are in police custody in connection to the poisoning deaths of nine lions at the world famous Serengeti National Park have been poisoned, Tanzania National Parks spokesman Pascal Shelutete told the BBC.
According to media reports, wildlife officials discovered the carcasses of the lions over the weekend. The motive for the poisoning remains unclear.
This is the third poisoning incident since 2015. A total of 19 lions that have been killed by poisoning and shooting in community areas.
A veterinarian from the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) at the Serengeti Centre, Mr. Justin Samanche, confirmed to a local media via the phone that an initial investigation had shown that the lions died from poisoning.
“We have realised that the lions were poisoned because their internal organs like intestines, livers and lungs went bad within a short time. We have taken samples that we be submitted to the government’s Chief Chemist and Tawiri head office for tests in order to identify the kind of poison used,” he said.
He added that even a bird species known as Tumbusi that had eaten the carcass died.
This comes barely one month after 11 lions were found dead from suspected poisoning at the Queen Elizabeth National Park in April.
