The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
said a gang of Sudanese poachers had killed the free roaming
elephants in the Bouba Ndjida National Park in northern Cameroon,
near the border with Chad, in an unprecedented
attack.
"At least 100 elephant carcasses have been found in the park in
the past month and ongoing shooting is making it impossible to
conduct a further, detailed assessment of the situation," IFAW said
on its website.
"It is understood that more carcasses are expected to be found
in unexplored regions of Bouba Ndjida."
The organisation said many orphaned elephant calves had been
spotted abandoned following the shootings and concerns were high
the babies may soon die of hunger and thirst.
"Their deaths will only compound the impact of the poaching
spree on the Cameroons threatened elephant populations," it
said.
IFAW official Celine Sissler-Bienvenu said it was common for
armed gangs of poachers to cross from Sudan during the dry season
to kill elephants for their ivory.
"But this latest massacre is massive and has no comparison to
those of the preceding years," she said.
"The ivory is smuggled out of West and Central Africa for
markets in Asia and Europe, and the money it raises funds arms
purchases for use in regional conflicts, particularly ongoing
unrest in Sudan and in the Central African Republic,"
Sissler-Bienvenu added.
IFAW said Britain, France, the European Union and the United
States had voiced alarm and called on the Cameroon authorities to
take urgent action to stop the killing.
Sissler-Bienvenu said the only answer was to end demand for
ivory especially in Asia and to ensure conservation officials in
range states were provided with skills and the equipment necessary
to counter professional gangs of poachers.
"Since 2009 IFAW has provided anti-poaching assessment, training
and support to rangers and conservation officials in central
African countries which face severe challenges in the fight to end
the bloody and cruel illegal ivory trade," she said.
"What these countries now need is the commitment of the
international community to financially support these highly skilled
and motivated trainees to be able to meet the task of protecting
elephants."