CONGO DR: Poachers Kill 4 Assigned To Guard African Elephants At Congo Wildlife Park

Poachers have killed guards that were tasked with guarding elephants in the Republic of Congo's Garamba National Park, according to the Science Alert. The ten guards exchanged fire with the poachers in the Azande hunting area Wednesday before officials were able to be rescue six of the rangers by an African Parks helicopter. When they came back for the remaining four Thursday, they found that the four rangers had been killed.

With the number of guards versus poachers on the rise, said Garamba's park manager, this latest tragedy doubles the number of guards killed this year, up to eight. Garamba National Park, unfortunately, is home to Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, in addition to the many poachers.

The ten rangers were on patrol, tracking an elephant's radio transmitter collar, which led them to the poacher's camp.

The rangers were quickly outnumbered by the poachers, who opened fire on three of the park's wildlife wardens, and a member of the Congolese Armed Forces assisting with the patrols was killed in the shoot-out.

"We have increasingly and more fiercely started to expand our protection zone to cover the whole park in the last six months and this has obviously brought us in to a number of confrontations with various armed groups," said Gamamba's Park Manager Erik Mararv.

The African elephant numbers are down by over 60 percent during the last decade. This amount to staggering and horrifying numbers for those trying desperately to keep them alive and from becoming extinct. Roughly 30,000 elephants are killed each year due to the high demand for ivory in Asian countries.

CONGO DR: Four Rangers Killed In Garamba National Park By Poachers

Poachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed three park rangers and an army officer as authorities seek to re-exert control over a national park, a conservation group has said.

The illegal hunters opened fire on a patrol including nine rangers and a military colonel that had tracked an elephant's transmitter collar to a poachers' camp in northern Congo's Garamba National Park on Monday.

A helicopter operated by African Parks, which manages Garamba, rescued six of the men but was unable to return for the remaining four, the group said. Their bodies were recovered later.

Garamba's park manager Erik Mararv said clashes with poachers were on the rise. Eight people have so far died this year in Garamba, which has long been home to poachers and armed groups, including members of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

"We have increasingly and more fiercely started to expand our protection zone to cover the whole park in the last six months and this has obviously brought us in to a number of confrontations with various armed groups," said Mararv.

Poaching has received renewed international attention in recent months, with the United Nations calling on member states to improve efforts against trafficking and poaching, arguing the profits fund insurgent and rebel groups operating in Africa.

Africa's elephant population is estimated to have dwindled by 60 percent over the past decade with around 30,000 elephants poached each year largely to supply ivory to Asian countries.

DR CONGO: Poachers Kill Four rangers, Army Colnel In Congo Park

Poachers in Democratic Republic of Congo killed three park rangers and an army officer this week as authorities seek to re-exert control over a national park, a conservation group said on Friday.

The illegal hunters opened fire on a patrol including nine rangers and a military colonel that had tracked an elephant's transmitter collar to a poachers' camp in northern Congo's Garamba National Park on Monday.

A helicopter operated by African Parks, which manages Garamba, rescued six of the men but was unable to return for the remaining four, the group said. Their bodies were recovered later.

Garamba's park manager Erik Mararv said clashes with poachers were on the rise. Eight people have so far died this year in Garamba, which has long been home to poachers and armed groups, including members of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

"We have increasingly and more fiercely started to expand our protection zone to cover the whole park in the last six months and this has obviously brought us in to a number of confrontations with various armed groups," said Mararv.

Poaching has received renewed international attention in recent months, with the United Nations calling on member states to improve efforts against trafficking and poaching, arguing the profits fund insurgent and rebel groups operating in Africa.

Africa's elephant population is estimated to have dwindled by 60 percent over the past decade with around 30,000 elephants poached each year largely to supply ivory to Asian countries.