Over 1000 elephants have reportedly been killed by cyanide poisoning in Zimbabwe, a top Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) official has confirmed.
Cyanide poisoning has become the most common means of poaching, with the first case having been reported in 2013 when 100 elephants were killed.
ZimParks director general Fulton Upenyu Mankwanywa said poachers have not been deterred by the shoot-to-kill policy adopted by government since then.
“We have a serious problem with poachers through cyanide poisoning,” Mankwanywa is quoted in the media during a tour of Hwange by Water and Environment minister, Oppah Muchunguri.
“In 2013, up to date, about 1000 elephants have been killed by poachers and all our revenue goes towards curbing such offences.”
Several other animals such as jackals, hyenas, zebras and antelopes have not been spared from cyanide poisoning after drinking from contaminated water sources.
Zimbabwe has one of Africa’s biggest surviving elephant populations, since herds in neighbouring regions of Eastern and Central Africa have been severely damaged by poaching.
About half of the country’s estimated 80 000 elephants are thought to live in Hwange.
In Zimbabwe, about 24 000 elephants have been lost to poachers over the past 20 years, prejudicing the hard currency starved economy of an estimated $3 billion in sport hunting fees alone.
