POLICE in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province announced Sunday they would offer rewards for tips in an elephant poaching case.

    The body of a wild Asian elephant was found Thursday with its tusks seized by poachers in a forest at a nature reserve near Manpa Village, Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Xishuangbanna, the police said.

    Police will offer rewards ranging from 20,000 yuan (US$3,226) to 40,000 yuan to people who provide key tips leading to the arrest of the poachers.

    Trajectory analysis showed that the elephant was killed by someone with a military gun, it said.

    Asian elephants are believed to be the largest living land animals in Asia. They are threatened by degradation, loss of habitat and poaching. There are nearly 300 Asian elephants in China. (Xinhua)