© 2026 ABC News

The handler was unconcerned because it is not unusual for the lions to make noise, Fox added. But the reserve's anti-poaching unit later noticed human remains near the lions Tuesday.

\"PHOTO:
Sibuya Game Reserve/Facebook
PHOTO: Sibuya Game Reserve is seen here in this undated file photo.
>

“I was immediately called to the scene where, along with the Anti-Poaching Unit, we found the high-powered rifle, gloves, wire cutters and the remains of a backpack with food, water and other supplies,” Fox said Thursday. “All the hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino and removing their horns.”

Authorities are now investigating the incident, which is believed to have involved two or three alleged poachers who walked into a group of six lions, Fox said.

Rhinoceros poaching is up by more than 8,000 percent across South Africa since 2007, a 2017 ABC News report found. Poachers can sell the horns for as much as $300,000 each on the illegal wildlife markets in Asia, where people believe they have medicinal value.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/International/alleged-rhino-poachers-mauled-death-lions-south-africa/story?id=56400969","legacySlug":"/news/story/alleged-rhino-poachers-mauled-death-lions-south-africa-56400969","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"10:54","publishDate":"07-06-2018","updatedTime":"15:40","updatedDate":"07-06-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"These lions mauled to death alleged rhino poachers in South Africa. Photo was taken in April 2018.","credit":"Sibuya Game Reserve/Facebook","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/sibuya-game-reserve1-ht-180706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"7/6/2018 10:54:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":56400969,"headline":"Lions maul alleged rhino poachers to death","mediaAssetTitle":"HAN_RHINO_070618","description":"Authorities found the \"hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino.\"","duration":"1:53","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/10/171025_ntl_rhino2_nb_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137060236","137028746","136712647"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"October 7, 2026","headline":"French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","section":"News","slug":"/video/137060236","id":"137060236","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 6, 2026","headline":"How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","section":"News","slug":"/video/137028746","id":"137028746","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 24, 2026","headline":"Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast ","section":"News","slug":"/video/136712647","id":"136712647","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Lions maul alleged rhino poachers to death","description":"Authorities found the \"hallmarks of a gang intent on killing rhino.\"","duration":"1:53","uploadDate":"07-06-2018","publication":"07-06-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/10/171025_ntl_rhino2_nb_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/10/171025_ntl_rhino2_nb_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/alleged-rhino-poachers-mauled-death-lions-south-africa-56400969"}},"playlist":[{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136841854","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136605272","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553132","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Lions maul alleged rhino poachers to death","pubTime":"06:54","pubDate":"07-06-2018","modTime":"11:40","modDate":"07-06-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":56400969,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Lions maul alleged rhino poachers to death","mediaAssetTitle":"HAN_RHINO_070618","videoId":56400969,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/alleged-rhino-poachers-mauled-death-lions-south-africa-56400969"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/56400969","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/56400969","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};