Gabon Arrests 5 Found with Ape Heads, Body Parts

JOHANNESBURG-- A wildlife advocacy organization says officials in Central Africa have arrested five men found with chimpanzee and gorilla heads.

WWF said that officials in the nation of Gabon had found 12 chimpanzee heads and the head of an endangered gorilla.

WWF African Great Ape Manager David Greer called it "highly disturbing" and says he believes it is the largest seizure of great ape parts in the region in the last decade.

Authorities also found 30 chimpanzee hands during the raid as well as the body parts of leopards, elephants and a lion.

Bushmeat is consumed and sold throughout Central and West Africa, fueled by extreme poverty. However, it also has found a market overseas in Europe.