“The cyanide poisoning of 41 elephants in Zimbabwe could kill hundreds of scavenger animals that feast on their remains, police have warned.

Detectives say they have broken a syndicate of six poachers who allegedly added the deadly chemical to a pool used by elephants to drink.

But they warned that the deaths could have far reaching consequences.

Chief Inspector Muyambirwa Muzzah said: “What they were doing is very cruel because it does not end with the death of the elephants.

“We have what we call the fourth generation effect due to the potency of cyanide as a poison. Animals that feed on the dead elephants will die and those that feed on the dead animals will also die.

“It will go back on the food chain and hundreds of animals may end up dead.”

The gang used salt laced with cyanide to kill the elephants after targeting pools of water at Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe Chronicle claimed.

After they died, their tusks would be cut off. Some 17 tusks valued at $120,000 (£76,724) have been recovered by police.”

Source: Sky News

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