Overview
- Tourists discovered the bodies near Crooks Corner in the park’s Pafuri/Nxanatseni North region, with police confirming the deaths were found on Friday, May 22.
- Provincial police say preliminary examinations show both victims suffered multiple stab wounds and detectives have opened two counts of murder and a hijacking investigation.
- The deceased were identified as Ernst Marais, 71, and Dina Marais, 73, from Mossel Bay, and SANParks has contacted the family and offered logistical support.
- Authorities report the couple’s green Ford Ranger is missing and rangers found tyre tracks near the scene that appear to cross the fence into Mozambique, prompting a multi‑agency cross‑border search with no arrests yet.
- SANParks has stepped up ranger patrols and surveillance in the northern Kruger region and stressed this is an unprecedented killing in the park’s history while investigations and cross‑border cooperation continue.