Poachers poison 14 elephants in Zimbabwe national parks

Parks and wildlife authority says cyanide used to kill three animals in Matusadona, and 11 in Hwange, with tusks cut off in some cases

Elephants cross the road in Hwange national park earlier this month. Photograph: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

Associated Press in Harare

Tuesday 6 October 2015 17.46

Fourteen elephants have been poisoned by cyanide in Zimbabwe, two years after poachers killed more than 200 elephants by poisoning, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said.

Three elephants were killed in Matusadona national park in northern Zimbabwe and 11 more were found dead in two different spots in Hwange national park in western Zimbabwe over the past two weeks, the authority announced on Tuesday.

In all cases, the elephants were killed by cyanide, according to kidney and liver samples from the dead animals, said parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo. Read more.