Zimbabwe: Export of elephant to China legal and above board

Zimbabwe's recent export of 24 elephants to China was legal, a senior wildlife conversation official has said, rejecting allegations that the animals were "ill-treated".

"Everything was done above board. We have the number and all the management authorities in both countries were involved and it was a very successful operation," Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director General, Edson Chidziya, told a press conference on Friday.

The export is part of the country's wildlife strategy to manage a ballooning elephant population of 83,000 and to raise funds for conservation efforts.

The huge elephant population has impacted negatively on the ecosystem, Chidziya said.

Exporting elephants is permitted under the convention on the international trade in endangered species (CITES), while it emphasizes that the risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment during the transportation should be minimized.

Animal rights activists have argued that it is cruel to separate the elephants from their herd and a familiar environment.

Zimbabwe is one of the main concentrations of African elephants.

The country boasts rich wildlife animals, but the wildlife conversation authority, Chidziya said, lacks resources to fight against poachers who were turning to "sophisticated methods of killing".

Last year, more than 100 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park -- one of the worst cases of poaching recorded in the country's history.