Poachers killed more than 80 elephants in Zimbabwe, poisoning water holes with cyanide, an action that jeopardized the biggest pachyderm colony in the world, an official source said today.
Saviour Kasukuwere, Minister of Environment, said that the animals were killed during the last few weeks in Hwange National Park, the largest in the country.
Police officers and forest guards carried out a raid in the surroundings of the park, located at Victoria Falls, where they recovered 19 tusks, cyanide and wired traps, said Kasukuwere.
“We are declaring war on poachers, we are going to implement tough measures because our wildlife are part of the natural resources that we want to have as benefits for Zimbabwean people,” he said.
One of the largest elephant colonies of Africa lives in Zimbabwe and half of those in its herd of 80 thousand are estimated to live at Hwange Park.
Via PL