Winner
Brent Stirton
Getty Images
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"GOD'S IVORY"
BOUBA NDJIDA NATIONAL PARK, NORTH CAMEROON, 6 APRIL 2012: The largest mass killing of elephants in recent history took place at Bouba Ndjida National Park in North Cameroon close to the Chad and Central African Republic Borders from January through March 2012. The ivory poachers told local villagers they have killed over 650 elephants in their hunt for Ivory over the 500 000 hectare region. Over 500 kills have been confirmed. Here a group of slain elephants is examined by a village Ranger who has worked with these elephants for over 20 years. The Poachers, numbering over 100 men, were mounted on horseback, led by 6 light skinned North Sudanese men and armed with RPG's, grenades, Light Machine Guns and AK47's. The elephants were herded together by teams of 4 to 8 riders who then decimated them with AK47 fire, killing all the elephants they could find, including babies with no ivory. Groups numbering as many as 53 elephants were been gunned down together.
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