Poachers slaughter 200 elephants

Poachers have slaughtered at least 200 elephants in the past five weeks in a patch of Africa where they are most endangered, wildlife activists said yesterday.

Many elephant calves orphaned by the recent killings have been spotted in Cameroon’s Bouba Ndjida National Park, and activists fear the animals may soon die of hunger and thirst.

“Their deaths will only compound the impact of the poaching spree on the Cameroon’s threatened elephant populations,” the organization said in a statement.

It is not known how many elephants remain.