In Zimbabwe, about 90 elephants have been slaughtered with their tusks removed by poachers, who put cyanide in local water holes, where these elephants frequently drink, MSN reported Wednesday.
To fuel a surging ivory demand in China and other Asian countries, poachers killed nearly 90 elephants in Zimbabwe using cyanide, and have all their tusks removed.
NBC News reported that Zimbabwe officials found the elephants' carcasses over the past few weeks, adding that most of the elephants were slaughtered in Hwange National Park, but more remains with tusks hacked off keep on surfacing.
"Rangers in the Hwange National Park discovered the carcasses of more than 40 of the gentle giants earlier this month and they continue to find bodies in recent weeks," MSN reported.
"Industrial cyanide used in gold mining was put in remote water holes and on salty ground that the elephants like to lick after drinking the water," Park spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo was quoted. "The poison was killing them and they were taking the tusks."
Reports also stated that even vultures and smaller scavengers that tried to feed on the dead elephants were found dead due to cyanide contamination.
"We are going to take samples from the elephant carcasses to a lab for testing," Washaya-Moyo said. "We are determined to find out what happened."
According to The Epoch Times, police and rangers have already retrieved 19 tusks, wire snares, and cyanide in a park village, south of Victoria Falls.
"We are declaring war on the poachers," Saviour Kasukuwere, the country's environment minister, told The Guardian. "We are responding with all our might because our wildlife, including the elephants they are killing, are part of the natural resources and wealth that we want to benefit the people of Zimbabwe."
Hwange is home to around half of the world's 80,000 elephants.
Zimbabwe Conservations Task Force chairman Johnny Rodrigues said that officials in Zimbabwe are somehow lax when it comes to their implementations of laws against poaching.
"They need to be given some extensive jail time. If it was, they wouldn't carry on doing it," Rodrigues said.
Nevertheless, Washaya-Mayo said that nine Zimbabwean nationals were arrested on August 29 after rangers had tracked them down and discovered a cache of ivory, adding that five remain in custody for investigation as of late.
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