Skip to main content

Trending

'The hunter was hunted': Riaan Naude, hunter who killed dozens of wild animals, murdered

Riaan Naude's body was found in his vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head in South Africa

June 29, 2022 10:39am

Updated: June 29, 2022 3:14pm

Riaan Naude, a hunter who killed dozens of wild animals, was found shot in the head in his vehicle on Tuesday in Limpopo province, South Africa.

Environmentalist Julio César Martínez confirmed the news through his Twitter account, stating that Naude was killed while on a hunting trip.

Naude stopped his vehicle on the side of the road approximately 5 km from Mokopane after it overheated, according to the Heritage Protection Group (HPG), a non-profit crime-fighting organization.

A second vehicle pulled up next to Naude, and a man shot him in cold blood at close range.

 The two suspects got out of the car and stole a gun from Naude, HPG mentions. "The suspects then got into their vehicle and drove in the direction of Marken."

Police spokesman Lt. Col. Mamphaswa Seabi said that when police officers arrived at the scene, they found the lifeless body next to his vehicle.

Police found two hunting rifles, clothing, water, whiskey, and pajamas in the victim's vehicle. The motive for the murder is unknown at this time.

Users celebrate the death of Riaan Naude

The news has gone viral on social media and many cybernauts celebrated the killing, arguing that it was an act of justice for the animals.

"Hunter hunted. There is party in animal heaven. I'm not happy, but animals should not be anyone's trophy; they should live and survive in their habitat naturally," wrote a user in response to Julio César Martínez's tweet.

"No more abusing defenseless animals," commented another user.

Although the authorities are working on the case, the hypothesis they are handling is the "high level of hatred that the locals had for the hunter, due to the enormous number of animals he killed."

Fast-File Reporter

Marielbis Rojas

Marielbis Rojas is a Venezuelan journalist and communications professional with a degree in Social Communication from UCAB. She is a news reporter for ADN America.