Hwange elephant poisoning update - Death toll reaches 300 elephants

Largest elephant poisoning on record

Octobber 2013. Since the original discovery of 41 elephant carcasses in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park the number of dead elephants has been rising steadily. According to the latest reports in The Telegraph, the death toll has now reached a horrific 300 elephants, making this the worst mass killing of elephants in Southern Africa for many decades.

Many vultures are also known to have died as well as lions and hyenas that had fed on the elephant carcasses. Other species such as bufalo and kudu are known to have been killed by the poison as well.

Initially the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) stated that the number of elephants poisoned by cyanide in Hwange National Park had risen to 100 carcasses. Several of the poachers have already received 15 year sentences and have received fines of between $200,000 & $600,000. National Parks and Wildlife Authority believe these sentences will be a deterrent to would be poachers. Some ivory has been recovered and it is believed that more has been shipped to South Africa where the tusks will either be shipped to Asia or sold in one of the notorious ivory markets.

Water holes not yet tested

The most frightening part of this is that although all the water holes have not yet been tested for cyanide, it is known that at least 2 were contaminated. This means that any animal that drinks from these water holes will die and any carnivores that feed on the carcasses will also die.

ZCTF are expecting the death toll to keep rising.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/hwange-elephants.html