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Zvifadzo Lubombo Herald Reporter
The Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources yesterday said the use of cyanide to poison wildlife animals had severe implications on the ecosystem. Campfire director Mr Charles Jonga said the killing of elephants by poachers using cyanide would affect the food chain and lead to the deaths of more wildlife.

“Rotting carcasses of dehorned elephants which were found in the park will go back on the food chain and hundreds of animals may end up dead,” he said.

“People living in communal areas adjacent to national parks should work closely with Parks authorities to fight poaching which is decimating our wildlife resources.”

A total of 64 elephants were killed by six poachers who poisoned water sources with granules of cyanide at the Hwange National Park in one of the worst cases of poaching recorded in the country.

Police in conjunction with the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority arrested nine people and recovered 69 carcasses of elephants recently.

Parks spokesperson Caroline Washaya Moyo said investigations were underway and results of the cyanide tests would be released soon.
Two years ago, nine elephants, five lions and two buffalo were poisoned by poachers using cyanide.

Recently the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo, the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, and Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Cde Walter Mzembi visited the scene where elephants were found dead after they drank poisoned water.

Cde Kasukuwere condemned the killing of wildlife and called for stiffer penalties.
Africa has lost 75 percent of its elephant population, largely due to poaching, according to a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report.

The report indicated that Kenya and Tanzania had the worst rates of elephant poaching, accounting for 70 percent of illegal global ivory trade.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) also reported that the level of elephant poaching across all African sub-regions had increased over the last seven years.