The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said on Tuesday that the deadly incidents had occurred in three different locations during the past two weeks, the Associated Press reported.
Three of the ill-fated animals were killed in Matusadona National Park in the north of the country and the remaining 11 were put to death in two separate spots in Hwange National Park in the west.
According to the parks and wildlife authority spokeswoman, Caroline Washaya-Moyo, kidney and liver samples taken from their carcasses revealed that all of them were killed by cyanide, adding that in Matusadona poachers laced oranges with cyanide whereas in Hwange the poison was put on salt licks.
Clement Munoriarwa, police commander for Mashonaland West province, said that no arrests had been made so far.
“We have had a number of poaching activities in the province, they are actually increasing each day…Some are done through the use of firearms and, of course, we have cases where we suspect that there is cyanide poisoning," said Munoriarwa on state television on Tuesday.
Hwange is home to some 53,000 elephants, twice the park’s capacity.
Back in 2013, 300 elephants were killed in Hwange after poachers laced salt pans with cyanide. Poachers kill elephants for their ivory tusks across the African continent.
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