Haunting new photos reveal secret elephant graveyard discovered in the heart of Africa where illegal ivory trade is booming

Lying in crumpled heaps, severed body parts strewn nearby, this is the terrible toll of the ivory trade on a once-thriving herd of elephants.

Thirty-five carcasses of the majestic gentle giants were found mutilated in a single attack by poachers at a popular safari destination in Cameroon. 

The heart-breaking sight was captured by a photographer last month - 20 years after the global ivory trade was officially banned to protect Africa's herds.

In the aftermath of the slaughter at Bouba N'djida National Park, a terrified young elephant was seen cowering around his mother's corpse – the only living elephant the photographer saw in the park for a whole week.         More Read