Another batch of dead elephants has been found by rangers at the Hwange National Park. Twenty-six elephants were found poisoned by cyanide in two areas, similar to how 14 other elephants were killed last week.
The carcasses were found while rangers were patrolling the park Tuesday. Both the Bhejane Trust and National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority work together to monitor the elephants. Caroline Washaya-Moyo, a spokeswoman for the park, said that they were able to recover 14 tusks form the dead elephants, but the others are nowhere to be found, according to The Guardian.
Park authorities recovered 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of cyanide, Washaya-Moyo added.
"Cyanide poisoning is becoming a huge problem here and we are struggling to contain it," said Trevor Lane, the founder of Bhejane Trust, according to the Associated Press.
No arrests have been made, but rangers are planning for a wider scope of patrol within the area with regards to the 40 dead elephants in just two weeks.
The bodies of the dead elephants were in two locations in the Hwange Park. Similar tragic circumstances also went on in the park in 2013 when over 100 elephants were killed, as well, Eyewitness News reported.
Oppah Michinguri, environments, water and climate minister, said that the rising number of poaching should be blamed on the U.S. for banning elephant sport hunting in the spot.
"All this poaching is because of American policies. They are banning sport hunting. An elephant would cost $120,000 in sport hunting but a tourist pays only $10 to view the same elephant," she said.
