Whole elephant families including the babies are being machine-gunned down for their ivory that is worth more than gold. 90% of all elephants and rhinos are already gone, with a huge increase in recent slaughters.
The killers use high-tech tracking & military helicopters. 9/3/12 "NY Times" article says they are organized crime and terrorist groups raising big monies to fuel their evil deeds, such as the brutal Joseph Kony. "The Shabab, the militant Islamist group that has pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, began training fighters to infiltrate neighboring Kenya and kill elephants for ivory to raise money."
Chinese buyers keep fueling the market & help to ship/smuggle. We have to stop this big evil business at the source, using even higher tech, to protect OURSELVES as well as the wildlife.