By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

In another low in the animal poaching world poachers are reportedly starting to utilize cyanide in hunting protected elephants.

Rangers for the Hwange National Park stated they discovered six elephant carcasses having their tusks removed. A week later, four more died but had not yet suffered the harvesting of their ivory. Necropsies and pathology tests of the animals’ kidneys and livers revealed the presence of cyanide. Matusadona National Park later lost three elephants to the same fate. Historically, cyanide is used in poaching of exotic fish.

The effect of cyanide often leads to deaths involving convulsions and considerable suffering if death is not immediate, adding to the cruel ordeal poachers exact upon the elephants.

Continue reading “Ivory Poachers In Zimbabwe Reportedly Using Cyanide Laced Food As Bait” →