KENYAN WILDLIFE AUTHORITIES SAID FRIDAY IN NAIROBI THEY HAD ARRESTED A GROUP OF POACHERS INCLUDING SEVEN ITALIANS, FOR THE ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF IVORY AND BIG-GAME HUNTING. ONE OF THE ITALIANS WAS FOUND WITH THREE ELEPHANT TUSKS, 60 KILOS OF PROCESSED IVORY, TWO RHINOCEROS HORNS AND SOME ANTELOPE ANTLERS, THE AUTHORITIES SAID. APART FROM THE ITALIANS, SIX KENYANS AND ONE TANZANIAN WERE ARRESTED. BIG-GAME HUNTING HAS BEEN BANNED IN KENYA SINCE 1977. OWING TO THE GLOBAL BAN ON THE IVORY TRADE, THE NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS IN KENYA HAS RISEN MASSIVELY IN RECENT YEARS. IT IS COMMON FOR THE ELEPHANTS TO LEAVE THE UNFENCED NATIONAL PARKS AND GRAZE THE FIELDS OF NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES BARE. EVERY YEAR SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY ELEPHANTS. --SP 21 42 LOCAL TIME 18 42 GMT
