Elephants killed a suspected poacher trying to escape from park rangers, South African officials say.

On April 18, South African National Parks officials reported that a suspected poacher was killed by a herd of breeding elephants. The fatal incident occurred while the poacher and two other people attempted to run away from rangers in the Kruger National Park.

As per ABC, the park rangers found out about the poacher’s death after one of the suspects they detained told them the group had run into a herd of elephants. The captured suspect said he was not sure whether his associate managed to flee the reserve.

The rangers found the man lying dead from his injuries after being “badly trampled.”

According to investigators, the third suspect is still on the run with a severe eye injury.

Officials say the group is suspected of attempting to poach rhinos. The poachers were armed, as the investigators discovered a riffle and an axe while searching the area.

Gareth Coleman, managing executive of Kruger National Park, said:

 “The campaign against poaching is the responsibility of all us; it threatens many livelihoods, destroys families and takes much-needed resources to fight crime, which could be used for creating jobs and development.”