Maputo — Unknown assailants murdered the manager of the Special Maputo Wildlife Reserve, Gilberto Vicente, on Sunday night.

According to a report in Saturday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", the murder occurred at around 19.00 in Chigubatana locality, in Boane district, as Vicente was driving from the Reserve to Maputo City, where he had meetings scheduled for the following morning.

According to the police, the Toyota Hilux in which Vicente was traveling was ambushed by six men, each armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Eight shots were fired, instantly killing Vicente, and seriously injuring his companion, Carlos Nunes, who is now undergoing medical treatment at Maputo Central Hospital.

The gang made no attempt to steal anything from the car, and after the murder made off at high speed in their own vehicles.

The police suspect that this was a contract killing, since Vicente was a thorn in the flesh for organised groups of poachers.

Vicente had earlier worked on the restocking of the Limpopo National Park, in Gaza province, with large mammals (imported from South Africa), and was preparing to do the same in the Maputo Special Reserve.