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Sunday, 19 November 2006, 23:32 GMT

British soldiers kill white rhino

A white rhinoceros British troops training in northern Kenya have shot dead a white rhinoceros after it charged at them.

The four soldiers were confronted by the adult male after they got lost at night on an exercise in the bush.

The shooting happened on Friday evening in Laikipia, north of the capital Nairobi. The area is popular for wildlife viewing.

White rhinos are killed by poachers who want their horns for use in traditional Chinese medicine or as ornaments.

Laikipia conservancy senior game warden Dickson Too said the soldiers had been "forced to shoot at it".

"We don't consider it a deliberate act of killing, they were just acting in self-defence," he said.

Mr Too added the rhino had been found the following day and the Kenya Wildlife Service had removed its horn.

Kenya Wildlife Service spokeswoman Connie Maina said British troops had a base near Laikipia and regularly underwent training in the area.




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Related to this story:
Hunting 'has conservation role' (27 Oct 06 |  Science/Nature )
Rhino killers 'posed as tourists' (30 Aug 06 |  Africa )
Lifeline for Kenya's 'lost' wilderness (05 Oct 05 |  Africa )
Country profile: Kenya (17 Oct 06 |  Country profiles )

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Kenya Wildlife Service
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