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.

Rhinos and elephants: the secret lives of Africa's giants

Rhinos and elephants have a range of remarkable behaviours and adaptations, many of which we are only just learning.

Emerging through the twilight, a beast lumbers forward, sniffing, snorting, searching for something.

One of the largest animals to walk the earth, it is on a surprising mission.

This black rhino is embarking on a midnight journey, seeking out other rhinos

in the dark to socialise and mate with, sharing some never-before-seen tender moments.
 
Because despite their size, we are only just beginning to notice some remarkable behaviours and adaptations of elephants and rhinos.

These two groups are the largest terrestrial animals.

The three species of elephant range from 5.5 tonnes for an average male African bush elephant to 2.7 tonnes for female Asian elephants. Rhinos, of which there are five species, can exceed 3.5 tonnes.

Their size makes them relatively easy to spot and an easy target for poachers, who continue to hunt both groups of large mammal in significant numbers: elephants mainly for ivory in their tusks and rhinos for their horns.

They have all been extensively studied by scientists, in the field and also in wildlife parks, breeding centres and zoos.

But much about them, and what they get up to, remains a mystery, with many discoveries into their behaviour and adaptations only being made recently.