(CNN) More than 500 endangered vultures died after eating three dead elephants whose carcasses were poisoned by poachers, the Botswana government said in a statement Thursday.

The 537 vultures and two tawny eagles were found dead in one of the country's protected wildlife management areas (WMA) in the eastern Central District.

Among the animals killed were 468 white-backed vultures, 28 hooded vultures, 17 white-headed vultures, 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 cape vultures.

All are classified as either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

"The poisoning was believed to have been caused by lacing of three poached elephant carcasses with a poisonous chemical which (leads) to significant mortality in vultures and eagles," the government statement on social media said.

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