A British man who worked with conservation groups was killed by elephant poachers in Tanzania while tracking them across Maswa Game Reserve, reported BBC News. Roger Gower, 37, has been remembered by his colleagues at the Friedkin Conservation Fund as "a great guy, a great friend [and] a great pilot," according to BBC News.
Gower was killed Friday while attempting to track down and arrest elephant poachers in conjunction with Tanzanian wildlife authorities, according to a statement on the Friedkin Conservation Fund's website. He and his copilot, safari guide Nicky Bester, had been following the poachers after receiving reports of gunfire in the bush, according to the Guardian.
Poachers fired at the helicopter, sending a bullet through the floor and leading it to crash. Gower was injured by the bullet, but still managed to prevent explosion by flying the helicopter into a tree, allowing Bester to jump down and save himself, according to reports by the Guardian.
Bester called for assistance, but Gower, unfortunately, died as a result of the injuries sustained in the shooting, according to BBC News. Gower's colleague and housemate Andy Payne said he did a "fantastic job of putting the helicopter down in a way that his colleague was able to walk away with minor injuries," according to the Telegraph.
A spokesperson from Tanzania's National Parks, Pascal Shelutete, told reporters that poachers such as the ones that killed Gower can be "heavily armed with sophisticated military weaponry," according to the Telegraph. The demand for ivory across the world has led to a resurgence of illegal poaching in Africa, according to the Guardian.
A fund-raising page in Gower's memory has been set up by his brother Max with the intention of raising £50,000 to aid anti-poaching efforts so that "some good should come out of Roger's tragic death."
