Forest elephants in the Central African Republic have become a new target for poaching gangs. Men armed with Kalashnikov rifles have massacred 26 elephants in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic, say conservationists. WWF reported the number of carcasses, quoting its sources in the region. Concern about what was happening in the park was raised earlier this week when it was said that ivory poachers were using a scientist's observation platform to shoot the animals. Elephants regularly gather at the Bai, a large clearing, to drink. Since the shooting, no elephants have been seen in the area, WWF reported. The Dzanga-Ndoki Park, a World Heritage Site, is located in the south-western corner of the Central African Republic (CAR), where it borders Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. It is described as a unique habitat for forest elephants in particular. CAR has witnessed increased levels of violence since the beginning of the year, and conservation groups like WWF withdrew their staff from the Bai are for safety reasons. On Monday, the conservation group issued a warning that a 17 armed individuals, some with heavy-calibre rifles, had entered the park and was heading for the Bai, known locally as the "village of elephants". By the time the armed men had left, the Bai was said to resemble an "elephant mortuary", WWF said. Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, added: "The Central African Republic must act immediately to secure this unique World Heritage Site.

African elephant poaching threatens wildlife future.

Three elephant corpses lay piled on top of one another under the scorching Kenyan sun.

'Monster' bird reveals dark side

Shoebill chick is filmed attacking its younger sibling

Aggressive bullying between bizarre-looking shoebill chicks has been filmed for the first time. The encounter was captured at Bangweulu wetlands, near Kasanka, in northern Zambia for the BBC One series Africa. Wildlife filmmakers were surprised to witness an older chick attacking its younger sibling while their mother was foraging away from the nest. The birds are rare subjects for study because their swamp breeding grounds are very difficult to access. The team's aim was to shed light on the species by documenting intimate behaviour of shoebill parents and young at the nest. Siblicide, the phenomenon of offspring killing their siblings, is common among many larger birds.

India probes attacks on rhinos in Assam state