While attacks from lions aren’t necessarily common, they’re not entirely unheard of either. The body of a suspected poacher, for instance, was found in the Ingwelala Private Nature Reserve earlier this month. According to National Geographic, the body was difficult to identify—much of it had apparently been eaten by a pride of lions—but it was recovered alongside a hunting rifle and ammunition. An expert on poaching told the outlet lions are typically killed for teeth or claws.
“If you look at the economics of poaching, these guys are taking a risk. It’s got to be worth their while,” Michael ‘t Sas-Rolfes of the University of Oxford told National Geographic at the time. “The probability [of being caught] and penalty is about the same…but the price for lion body parts is way lower than rhino horn.”
While the person killed by lions earlier in the month was suspected of poaching, there was no indication Tuesday as to what caused the attack.
