A retired South African couple were found murdered inside Kruger National Park in Limpopo province, triggering a major police investigation and renewed concerns over security in one of Africa’s most visited wildlife reserves.
Ernst Marais (71) and his wife Dina (73), from Mossel Bay, were reported missing after failing to return to their accommodation in the northern section of the park near Pafuri and Crooks Corner, a remote border zone linking South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The couple were last seen on 20 May 2026 at a picnic site inside the park. A search operation was launched the following day after staff raised the alarm. Their bodies were discovered on 22 May 2026 near the Limpopo and Levubu river confluence, an area known for difficult terrain and limited surveillance coverage.
Police confirmed that both victims had suffered multiple stab wounds, and their vehicle was missing from the scene. Investigators are treating the case as a murder and hijacking, with early findings suggesting the vehicle may have been driven out of the park through a fence line toward Mozambique.
SANParks described the incident as unprecedented in the park’s history, noting that no similar case has been recorded in its more than 100 years of operation. The authority has since deployed additional rangers and surveillance units in the northern region, focusing on known smuggling corridors and cross-border movement routes.
The Crooks Corner area, where the bodies were recovered, sits at the intersection of three countries and has long been associated with informal cross-border movement, poaching activity and difficult policing conditions due to its geography and dense river systems.
Authorities say the investigation remains active, with no arrests confirmed so far. The incident has drawn national attention in South Africa’s tourism sector, where Kruger National Park remains a flagship destination attracting nearly two million visitors annually.
While officials have moved to reassure the public that the park remains safe overall, the killings have prompted renewed scrutiny of security in remote safari zones, particularly in the northern reaches bordering Mozambique.
The investigation continues.
