Fund set up for accountant killed by African poachers
Roger Gower died after his chopper was shot at by a gang of elephant poachers in Tanzania
A FORMER Moore Stephens accountant who turned his back on the profession to become a helicopter pilot in Africa has been killed by elephant poachers in Tanzania.
Roger Gower died after his chopper was shot at by the AK-47-wielding gang that he was tracking from the air across the Maswa game reserve in the East African country.
The 37-year-old Bristol University graduate was working with charity the Friedkin Conservation Fund when he died on Friday after losing control of his helicopter. A passenger survived the crash.
His family have set up an online memorial fund in his honour to help combat poaching – rampant in Africa as a fevered demand for ivory from China fuels the demand. With a £50,000 target, they have already raised over £26,000.
Writing on the justgiving site, his brother Max, said: “I am proud to have known him and to be able to say he was my brother. Those who knew him will remember his idiosyncrasies but also his principles, his morality and his infectious love of having fun.”
Five suspects have been arrested in the country that boasts the Serengeti national park and Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.