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File photo Shutterstock/Nico Fourie

Rhino kills conservationist in Rwanda

Hungarian Krisztian Gyongyi had been helping reintroduce the black rhino to Akagera National Park.

A CONSERVATIONIST WHO was training rangers to track and protect black rhinos in Rwanda has been killed by one of the animals, the organisation he worked for has said in a statement.

Information about the exact circumstances of Hungarian Krisztian Gyongyi’s death on Wednesday morning in Akagera National Park is “still being gathered”, Peter Fearnhead, the chief executive of Africa Parks, said.

“(This is) a huge loss for all who knew Kris and for rhino conservation across the continent,” Fearnhead said, sending condolences to Gyongyi’s family.

Gyongyi, a married father-of-one, had been helping reintroduce the black rhino to Akagera National Park while also working on a PhD on the conservation of the animal in Liwonde National Park in Malawi since 2012, the park said.

Poaching

Black rhinos disappeared from Rwanda in 2007 due to poaching but were reintroduced into the country in May after 20 animals were sent from South Africa to Akagera National Park.

Only about 1,000 East African black rhinos live in the wild, out of a total population of less than 5,000, according to African Parks.

“This is a tremendous loss for all of us, especially for rhino conservation efforts in Africa,” Fearnhead said, paying tribute to Gyongyi.

© AFP 2017

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    Mute Dave Hogan
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:02 PM

    Shame it was one of the good guys killed protecting those ( I won’t say beautiful) creatures.

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    Mute Dub_Right
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    Jun 9th 2017, 1:56 PM

    Christ that’s tragic…!

    I’ve heard of hunters being killed by animals, that’s just natural selection though!

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    Mute Guill Ire
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    Jun 9th 2017, 1:55 PM

    Rhinos 1 Humans 1000000000

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    Mute Richard
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:08 PM

    @Guill Ire: We are the champions, my friend…

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    Mute Tony O'C
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:27 PM

    @Richard: and we’ll keep on slaughtering til the end

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    Mute Captain kirk
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:13 PM

    Rhinorny

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Jun 9th 2017, 4:36 PM

    Pity these animals can’t understand who the good guys are and who are the bad.

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    Mute Maire
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:53 PM

    Hope Rhino was not put down! Deepest Sympathies to Family of Conservationist!

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    Mute Jackie Caruana
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    Jun 9th 2017, 7:56 PM

    @Maire: they may not see this.

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    Mute Darren Tully
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:21 PM

    Poor woman, I hope she didn’t suffer

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    Mute Hello there friend
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    Jun 9th 2017, 2:46 PM

    @Darren Tully: it was a man

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    Mute Darren Tully
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    Jun 9th 2017, 3:01 PM

    @Hello there friend: My arch nemesis, autocorrect strikes again!

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