Poachers Poison 87 Elepahants With Cyanide In Zimbabwe; Authorities Say More Dead Elephants To Be Found, "Huge Surge" In Ivory Demand

Poachers in Zimbabwe killed 87 elephants, authorities said. The poachers poisoned natural salt licks with cyanide to kill the elephants en masse, then sold the ivory from their tusks illegally.

Since May, 87 elephant carcasses have been found in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, according to Caroline Washaya-Moyo, who acts as public relations manager for the country's Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

The wildlife authority has recovered a total of 51 tusks, which leaves poachers with 123 to sell.

Five suspected poachers were arrested last month after 41 elephants were discovered dead.

Police believe there are more dead elephants yet to be found. The poison also killed several other animals who used the salt lick.

On Wednesday, a Zimbabwean court sentenced three poachers up to 16 years in prison. They were convicted for illegal possession of ivory and contravening a law that prohibits the possession and discharge of hazardous substances, chemicals, materials or oil into the environment.

Two suspected poachers are scheduled to be sentenced this week. Initial reports said that nine poachers were arrested, but that number appears to be lower.

Poaching seems to be increasing in part because the state parks are so under-funded. In Hwange alone, only about 50 rangers patrol the vast 14,650-sq-km park. This is one tenth of the number of rangers needed. They simply cannot stem the tide of poachers.

The anti-poaching organization Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force has called for stiffer penalties for poaching. If there were graver consequences, "they wouldn't carry on doing it," said chairman Johnny Rodrigues.

In addition, the poacher's use of cyanide threatens other animals on the food chain. When other animals and birds feed on the rotting elephant carcasses, they will also die from the poison," Rodrigues said. "Hundreds of animals are now at risk."

Lawmakers such as  Zimbabwe's newly appointed Environment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere called for harsher jail terms for poachers; Kasukuwere said it will be "one of my missions in the new parliament."

There has been a large surge in the demand for illegal ivory. The International Fund for Animal Welfare found in a study that an elephant is killed by poachers about every 15 minutes.

"Elephants were killed for their ivory in record numbers in 2011 and 2012, and some rhinoceros subspecies have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction," it said.

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