"We are profoundly
saddened by the loss of our dear friend," he said.
Gower managed to land the
chopper but died before he was able to be rescued, said Lazaro Nyalandu, the
country's former tourism minister, who said he flew with Gower many times.
Tanzania
gets 'The Devil' as it cracks down on elephant poaching
Gower was helping rangers find
the killers of an elephant when the poachers fired at the helicopter with an
AK-47, Nyalandu wrote on Twitter.
Photos of the crash site,
provided by Tanzania National Parks, show the helicopter on its side in dense
grass, its tail broken off. A bloody bullet hole can be seen in one of the
seats.
"Those poachers who killed
Capt Roger are coward, evil, and sad people. A fine hearted individual gone too
soon, and our hearts are broken," Nyalandu wrote.
The shooting happened at the
Maswa Game Reserve, which borders the Serengeti National Park in northern
Tanzania, Nyalandu said. Elephant poaching is prevalent on the reserve,
according to the Friedkin Conservation Fund.
It was not immediately clear
whether Gower was working for the fund when he was killed.
"This tragic event again
highlights the appalling risk and cost of protecting Tanzania's wildlife,"
Friedkin said.
The killers are still at large,
Nyalandu said. Tourism Minister Jumanne Maghembe flew to Maswa with senior
government officials to lead the search, he said.
"Capt Roger represented
the very best in human spirit," Nyalandu wrote. "He loved people and
the wildlife. He died serving both." (News courtesy of CNN)