Poacher who killed more than 500 elephants sentenced to 30 years’ hard labour
A poacher thought to have killed more than 500 elephants has been sentenced to 30 years of hard labour in a landmark case.
Wildlife charities have hailed the ‘milestone’ conviction of Mobanza Mobembo Gerard, who was dubbed the ‘butcher of Nouabale Ndoki’ in reference to the park he targeted in the Republic of Congo.
His trial and sentencing last week marked the first criminal conviction of a wildlife trafficker in the central African country. He was convicted on charges of ivory trafficking from poached elephants, the attempted murder of park rangers, possession of military weapons, and other offences.
His 30 year jail term is the longest sentence handed down to a poacher in the country, with the previous maximum being five years due to cases often ending up in civil court.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said this ‘sends an extremely strong message that wildlife crime will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted at the highest levels’.
The NGO said Gerard led a team of 25 poachers who have killed around 500 elephants on hunting expeditions dating back to 2008.
A three-year manhunt began when a fight broke out between Gerard and his men and park rangers at Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.
Several park rangers were injured though they all survived. Three of the poacher’s men were captured and eventually gave enough information about his whereabouts that police were able to detain him.
Gerard managed to escape in 2018 just before his trial was about to take place, but after a year on the run he was arrested in July 2019.
The WCS has praised the Republic of Congo for delivering a harsh penalty and say they hope it will send a message to other poachers.
Dr. Emma Stokes, WCS Regional Director of Central Africa, said in a statement: ‘This unprecedented conviction in the criminal court is a major milestone in the protection of wildlife in the Republic of Congo.
‘We are confident that today’s sentence will serve as a deterrent to would-be criminals that you will serve hard time if you break our wildlife laws and put park rangers and Congo’s national security in danger.’
The Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park covers around 4,000-square kilometres of dense lowland rainforest in the north of the Republic of Congo. It was created in 1993 and was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2012.
There are now only around 300,000 wild elephants in the whole of Africa, compared to the million-strong population they had in the 1980s.
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