Impounded Toyota Land-cruiser parked at the Wildlife headquarters in Gumbo Shirikaat/courtesy photo

Wildlife rangers have detained a land cruiser vehicle with 2000 kilograms of bush meat along Juba – Lafon road and arrested four suspects.

General Khamis Adiang the Director General of Wildlife, Conservation, and Tourism told Eye Radio that the suspects were intercepted Tuesday night in the Floo area between Juba – Lafon road .

Adiang said some of the suspects who were armed shot at wildlife rangers on a night patrol, before fleeing into the bushes.

“It happened that they met with a land cruiser car, so when they suspected the car to be carrying bush meat and tried to stop it, they [suspects] started firing at our people and then tried to escape,” he said.

“They were chased, and in the end, they jumped out of the car and ran away. So people got hold of the car full of bush meat.”

He said four of them including three women were intercepted and arrested – but the driver and some others escaped.

However, Adiang told Eye Radio that, the owner of the car reported to his office on Wednesday morning and promised to bring the driver.

“The owner of the car came to the office and he promised to bring the driver who will be the first suspect. He’s the one to bring the owner of the bush meat and he’s the one also to report the guys who fired at our forces.”

General Khamis Adiang says his office is considering opening a police case against those arrested and the escapees.

In January this year, Wildlife wardens arrested eleven people in possession of 3000 kilograms of bush meat.

Also, in the same month, 40 people for possessing 70-sacks of bush meat were confiscated in four vehicles.

South Sudan has six national parks and 13 game reserves covering more than 13 percent of the country’s terrain.

The country has more than 300 mammal species and boasts one of Africa’s greatest annual antelope migrations.