Palm poachers kill police officer

[TerdalFarm]

Palms are a fun hobby for us, but they are a deadly serious matter in some places.
Many of you know I spend time in the rainforests of Belize, for my own research on wildlife and to help with an effort to deter poachers who steal macaw nestlings for the international trade in rare parrots.
Many of the poachers also steal leaves of Chameadorea palms, which they cut for export to Europe, Asia and North America, where they are used in floral arrangements. The Maya word for Chameadorea is Xate, so the poachers are known as Xateros.

Last Thursday, a police officer in Belize protecting tourists at the classic Maya site of Caracol saw two horses, which he suspected were being used by xateros. He went to untie them from the tree near the pyramids. The xateros shot him dead, took his gun and fled into the forest.

This news story concludes with a video clip taken by a tourist who happened to be there. It does not have the shooting, but it does show the body. It then goes on to Chameadorea palms and why poachers would kill for them.

http://latincorrespondent.com/environme ... es-murder/

Grim stuff, but may be useful to put our hobby in a broader perspective.

[TerdalFarm]

This news story has a different edit that includes the sound of the shots fired, again, captured by a tourist to the Maya site. It opens with gun shots, and closes with Chameadorea palms.
http://www.patrickjonesbelize.com/2014/ ... -gunshots/

The slain officer's mother approved the release of the video to raise awareness.

[DesertZone]

that's crazy, thanks for sharing.