Elephant Poachers in Tanzania Murder British Pilot Who Was Fighting to Bring Them to Justice

by
posted on January 31, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ah_wire_elephant.jpg

As reported in USA Today and in social media worldwide, elephant poachers in Tanzania shot and killed British helicopter pilot Roger Gower on Friday while he was working with the Texas-based Friedkin Conservation Fund and Tanzanian wildlife authorities to track them down and make an arrest. Gower was flying over the Maswa Game Reserve near Serengeti National Park pursuing poachers who had killed an elephant when they fired on his helicopter. Gower was able to land but died before help arrived, according to tweets from Lazaro Nyalandu, Tanzania's former minister for natural resources and tourism. The Associated Press reports that Britain's Foreign Office confirmed the death and is providing assistance to his family.

“You loved our country and I knew you on many flights we took together in defense of our wildlife heritage," wrote Nyalandu.

In a statement from the Friedkin Conservation Fund, the group’s chairman, Dan Friedkin, said, “We are committed to honoring Roger and his work, and we are also committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack are found and brought to justice. We believe Roger can best be honored by redoubling our commitment to protect elephants and our priceless wildlife heritage. This tragic event again highlights the appalling risk and cost of protecting Tanzania’s wildlife."

Gower’s murder also underlies one of the biggest threats to the future of hunting: poachers. A 2014 study reports that in 2011 alone, 40,000 African elephants were slaughtered by poachers for their ivory.

To view the USA Today article, click here.

Latest

Henry Lever Action Supreme On White
Henry Lever Action Supreme On White

Hardware Review: Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle

Check out Frank Melloni's Hardware review of the Henry Lever Action Supreme.

NRA 2025 Subsidies for Hunters for the Hungry Programs

The National Rifle Association of America has announced its 2025 subsidy program for Hunters for the Hungry (HFH) organizations in the United States by making $100,000 available.

A Shotgun for All Seasons: Savage Renegauge in Argentina

If you want to test a shotgun’s reliability and recoil control, you take it on a high-volume hunt. If you want that trial to more resemble torture than test, you make that a high-volume Argentina dove hunt. Read on to find out how the Savage Renegauge performed.

NRA Names Kyle Lamb as Brand Ambassador for America’s Rifle Challenge

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) proudly announces Sergeant Major (Ret.) Kyle Lamb as a Brand Ambassador for the NRA America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC), an innovative training and competition program built around the safe and effective use of the AR-15 platform.

#SundayGunday: Banish 46-V2

On this week's #SundayGunday, we're talking about suppressors, specifically the Banish 46-V2, capable of taming nearly every gun in your safe, up to and including the big boys like .338 Lapua.

KelTec Named Official Stage Sponsor for 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is proud to announce KelTec as an official sponsor of the 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship, returning to Camp Atterbury, Ind., from September 30 to October 4, 2025.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.