David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Poachers have killed more than 200 elephants in Cameroon in just six weeks, in a "massacre" fuelled by the Asian demand for ivory.

A local government official said heavily armed poachers from Chad and Sudan had attacked the elephant population of Bouba Ndjida National Park in Cameroon's far north in a dry season killing spree.

"We are talking about a very serious case of trans-frontier poaching, involving well-armed poachers with modern weapons from Sudan and Chad who are decimating this wildlife species to make quick money from the international ivory trade," said Gambo Haman, governor of Cameroon's North region.

Speaking on local radio, Haman said some of the poachers were on horseback and operated in cooperation with the local population, who were given free elephant meat and were glad to be rid of animals that damage their crops.

Cross-border poaching is common during the dry season but the scale of the killings so far this year is unprecedented. A surge in elephant poaching in Africa to meet Asian demand for tusks for use in jewelry and ornaments is being blamed and conservationists say that the spike in poaching and illegal ivory trade is a direct consequence of China's investment drive into the continent. (Reuters)

DSWF works to protect elephants from poaching in Uganda, Zambia and India. See more.