Update: 87 fresh elephant tusks intercepted in Yaounde

Cameroonian authorities seized about 187 points of ivory, representing hundreds of slaughtered elephants on Monday, as per the State radio reports.

Agents of the Ministry of forestry and wildlife (Minfof) seized "187 tips of ivory" at Nsimalen, a suburb of Yaounde, says Crtv.

The cargo was caught in a "military truck from the South of the country heading to Yaounde (centre)", Crtv added.

According to the same source, traffickers who ferried the tips of seized ivory managed to escape. "It is difficult to estimate the value of these spikes of ivory" but it could represent more than 100 elephants slaughtered", says Issola Dipanda, regional manager of Minfof for the central region.

"The elephant is a protected species in Cameroon and society must help wildlife agents to preserve them or they go into extinction", Mr. Dipanda explained in an interview by Crtv.