More than 300 dead elephants have been found in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, after poachers poisoned watering holes with cyanide, the ZCTF has reported.
This figure is significantly higher than the toll of just over 100 officially reported.
Speaking to Tourism Update, Johnny Rodrigues, ZCTF Chairman, raised concerns that government officials could be involved in a cover-up, adding that official figures reported were much lower than eye witness accounts. “I believe there are very big chiefs involved in this,” said Rodrigues. He added that the members of the ministerial task team set up to investigate the incident had been accused of being ringleaders.
According to Rodrigues, the current 15-year sentence for poaching sent the wrong message to culprits.
