Militias have plagued eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for three decades, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.
The vast expanse of Virunga -- famed worldwide as a wildlife sanctuary -- lies in the middle of the conflict zone, near the border with Rwanda and Uganda.
The Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said "instrumentalised youths" had damaged the electric barrier surrounding the park several weeks ago.
Two elephants escaped on Monday, the ICCN explained, and unidentified armed men killed one.
The conservation authority urged an official investigation.
According to a resident of the area, locals shared the slaughtered elephant's meat among themselves.
The fate of the second elephant was unclear.
Despite its vast mineral wealth, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world.
About two-thirds of the 100 million population live on under $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank.
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