A suspected poacher was attacked and killed by an elephant before being eaten by a pride of lions in a national park in northeastern South Africa last week, NBC News reported.

Officials with the Kruger National Park said the family of the man, who is believed to have gone into the park to poach a rhino, got a call from his partners saying he was killed by an elephant on Tuesday.

A search party was launched, but the body could not be located in the area that the family described.

Park rangers recovered what was left of the poacher’s remains on Thursday.

"Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants," a statement from the park said.

Four of the man’s alleged accomplices have been arrested and are expected to appear in court.

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