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Angry rhino 'appears from nowhere' to turn tables on suspected poacher

A rhino attacked a suspected poacher at Etosha National Park in Namibia - Reuters
A rhino attacked a suspected poacher at Etosha National Park in Namibia - Reuters

A suspected poacher was severely injured in Namibia after a rhino he was allegedly tracking attacked him.

Suspect Luteni Muharukua was left hospitalised after illegally entering the national park with the intention of killing rhinos for their horns, it is alleged.

The Namibian reports the rhino “appeared from nowhere” and charged at the group of alleged illegal hunters in Etosha National Park.

Mr Muharukua was left with a severe leg injury after falling over while fleeing from the animal on October 15, reports say.

“His friends took him and hid him on a nearby mountain, and he was arrested there the next day by police,” said officer Simson Shilongo.

Dangerous animals - Rhino
Dangerous animals - Rhino

Mr Muharukua was treated at a hospital under police guard after the incident.

The WWF says Namibia has one of the largest black rhino populations in the world, “with a majority found in Etosha National Park”.

“Although their numbers are increasing, the black rhino is still under threat, particularly as Asian demand for rhino horn skyrockets,” says the conservation group.

“The front horn is longer than the rear which makes them lucrative targets for the illegal trade in rhino horn.

“Today, black rhinos remain critically endangered because of rising demand for rhino horn, which has driven poaching to record levels.”