Group says British pilot killed by poachers in Tanzania

A British helicopter pilot was shot and killed while
trying to stop elephant poachers in Tanzania, a
conservation group said.
The pilot, Roger Gower, was killed Friday while
working with the Texas-based Friedkin
Conservation Fund, in a joint effort with
Tanzanian wildlife authorities, to "track down and
arrest active elephant poachers," according to a
statement on the group's website.
"In the course of this action, the poachers
fired upon the helicopter and Roger was
fatally wounded."
"We are committed to honoring Roger and
his work," Dan Friedkin, chairman of the
group, said in the statement. "We are also
committed to ensuring that those
responsible for this attack are found and
brought to justice. We believe that 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 Tanzania¹s wildlife."
Gower was flying in the Maswa Game Reserve,
near Serengeti National Park, trying to track down
poachers who had killed an elephant, according to
tweets from Lazaro Nyalandu, Tanzania's former
minister for natural resources and tourism. Gower
managed to land the helicopter after being hit by
fire from an AK-47. Gower "sadly died before his
rescue," Nyalandu wrote.
"You loved our country and I knew you on
many flights we took together in defence of
our wildlife heritage."
Britain's Foreign Office confirmed the death of a
Briton in Tanzania and said it was "providing
assistance to the family at this difficult time," the
Associated Press reported.
Poaching is fueled by a demand for ivory from
Asia, according to the World Wildlife Federation.
Yet demand for ivory in China appears to be
falling, according to a December report from Save
the Elephants, which notes that the price for ivory
has fallen by nearly half since 2014.