Kenyan game wardens have shot dead four elephant poachers in the northeastern Garissa region.

The poachers had killed eight elephants in the Kora National Park and then buried the ivory, meaning to come back for it later.

A patrol of the Kenya Wildlife Service followed and accosted the poachers, ordering them to surrender.

The wardens said the men defied the order and, instead, exchanged gunfire with them before they were killed.

Three rifles and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

Ivory ban

Recently, there has been increased concern that a rise in poaching is underway in Kenya.

There have been at least 35 confirmed incidents of poaching in 1999 and several arrests have been made by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Kenya banned all forms of hunting in 1979.

Last July, the authorities announced the seizure of 350 kg of ivory - the largest in the country for a decade.

Kenya has opposed a recent decision to relax the worldwide ban on traffic in ivory, to allow some southern African states to export limited quantities under controlled conditions.

It says even a limited lifting of the ivory ban would increase the risk of a revival of illegal poaching of Africa's elephants.

Last February, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species decided to allow an experimental trade in ivory from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana.