Wildlife at Risk International, a conservation charity with which Mr Gower was working, said on their Facebook page that local authorities had arrested three people over the shooting. Meanwhile, conservationists have been fighting unendingly for decades to save Africa’s dwindling wildlife, particularly elephants, whose numbers have fallen by over 100,000 individuals in the past few years.
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Maswa, the park where Gower was operating, lies on the southwest boundary of Serengeti.
Tanzanian authorities have launched a manhunt after poachers shot down a helicopter and its British pilot during an operation to track down elephant killers.
Unconfirmed reports say that three suspects had by last evening been arrested in connection to the downing of the 5HFGF helicopter.
Dan Friedkin, the chairman of the Friedkin Conservation Fund, said Gower had been engaged in a joint mission with Tanzanian officials to catch elephant poachers.
The brother of a British pilot who was killed when his helicopter was shot down by poachers has spoken of his pride over his bravery.
Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the death of a Briton in Tanzania and said it was “providing assistance to the family at this hard time”, the Associated Press reported.
Mr Gower’s former employer, Tropic Air Kenya, said it was “shocked and immensely sad” at the news that he had been killed “in the long and ongoing battle against elephant poaching”.
“The suspects are in the hands of police”, Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Jumanne Maghembe told AFP.
He is said to have flown people between camps and supported the ground staff in their work against poachers.
“We really need to highlight the fight by example or else we will continue to lose and this will negatively affect both sectors”. According to authorities, the poachers were on a serious killing spree.
The poachers who shot at Gower are still at large, Nyalandu said.
Yesterday, Chief Executive Officer with Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT) Lathifa Sykes was lost for words following Gower’s death.
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Some 35,000 elephants are killed every year as demand for ivory rises. “This tragedy will also make us all redouble our efforts to honour our fallen comrade Roger who is now one of Tanzania’s conservation heroes” added another regular Arusha based conservation source.
