One of the largest elephants in East Tsavo National Park, Kenya has been confirmed dead at the hands of poachers who cut off the animal’s face and tusks, and left the carcass to be found by conservationists.

One of the largest elephants in Kenya has been confirmed dead at the hands of poachers who cut off the animal’s face and tusks, and left the carcass to be found by conservationists.

Graphic images of the slaying have been released by The Tsavo Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service.

The elephant was known as Satao, and was one of the last great tuskers, with ivory tusks weighing more than a hundred pounds.

Satao was killed by poisoned arrows, and the rest of his body was left in the field after poachers harvested the ivory.

Mark Deeble, a British filmmaker who documented Satao extensively is quoted as saying: “Satao was probably one of half a dozen of Kenya’s great tuskers, possibly the largest. It’s a devastating situation. Kenya’s last great tuskers need presidential protection. If Satao’s death can galvanise the focus on what’s actually happening here in terms of poaching, then he won’t have died in vain.”

Some experts say that the number of elephants that have been poached in Kenya might actually be up to ten times higher than what has been officially reported.