ZIMBABWE: Elephant Discovered Dead After Cyanide Poisoning

Another elephant has been found dead of cyanide poisoning in north-western Zimbabwe, two months after around 60 elephants were killed in the area, it was reported on Sunday.

The decomposing body of the elephant was found last week in Sikumi Forest next to Hwange National Park, where poachers have poisoned dozens of elephants since September.

The elephant had been dead for around 10 days.

Poachers had not had time to remove the elephants’ tusks, according to the report.

An official from the Forestry Commission, Armstrong Tembo, said “On Tuesday last week our workers recovered the carcass of an elephant that was decomposing. The ivory was also recovered.

“The cause of the death is a mixture of salt and cyanide,” he added.

Poachers have commonly poisoned waterholes with cyanide, a fast-acting poison, or they have poisoned salt-licks near waterholes.

There was a hiatus in the poisonings in Hwange over November and December.

One possible contributing factor may be the lack of rain, which has seen elephant numbers reduced in parts of the park as the animals move away to look for water and food.

The Bhejane Trust, a conservation group that operates in the vast national park, said in its latest report this week: “With very few elephants in the Sinamatella area still, we have not had to worry much about any repeat of the cyanide killings.”

Twenty-two elephants were poached in a single poisoning incident in Sinamatella, in the north of the park, in October. The authorities believe at least two gangs were involved in the attacks. At least seven people have been reportedly arrested so far, though it is far from certain that the ringleaders have been caught.

A man had been arrested at a logistics company in Bulawayo after he was found with more than a tonne of cyanide — and no licence for it — in his warehouse.

Bulawayo is on the main road between the Zimbabwean capital Harare and Hwange National Park.

ZIMBABWE: 22 More Elephants Killed In Hwange Park By Cyanide Poisoning

An elephant crosses the road in Hwange National Park, about 700 kilometers south west of Harare, Zimbabwe. Cyanide poisoning has killed 22 elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said.

This brings to 62 the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern Africa country in October.

Cyanide poisoning has killed 22 elephants in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said on Monday. This brings to 62 the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern Africa country in October.

Rangers found the carcasses of the elephants in Hwange park's Sinamatella area on Monday morning, national parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo said.

"Again, it is cyanide poisoning," said Washaya-Moyo, who said the poachers got away with three ivory tusks.

"We are now trying to check how many elephants had fully developed tusks because babies are among those killed," she said. "The rate at which we are losing animals to cyanide is alarming. Many other species are also dying from the cyanide used by poachers to target elephants. We are appealing to people in communities close to national parks to cooperate with authorities."

In early October, the parks reported three incidents in which 40 elephants were killed by cyanide poisoning. Three were killed in the Kariba area of cyanide put in oranges. The rest were killed in Hwange park.

In 2013, more than 200 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange. Washaya-Moyo said the parks agency is hoping that trained dogs from South Africa and the deployment of drones will help tighten monitoring of the vast park in the west of this wildlife-rich country.

On Monday, the national parks also announced that over the weekend authorities at Harare International Airport seized 173 kilograms (380 pounds) of ivory worth $43,250 that was about to be smuggled to Singapore. Three Zimbabweans and a Malian national were arrested over the smuggling bid, the parks agency said in a statement.