Across Zimbabwe's border, in South Africa, a record 688 rhinos were killed in 2013.In 2011 alone, 25,000 wild elephants were illegally killed in Africa, primarily for their ivory. Over the past few years, poachers killed the last wild rhinos in Mozambique and Vietnam. The world's population of tigers has dwindled to around 3,000 animals in the wild. These are some of our most emblematic species, but wildlife crime is also robbing the natural heritage of peoples and states.Wildlife crime now ranks among trafficking in drugs, arms and human beings in terms of profits. It is an economic crime often perpetrated by criminal syndicates operating in the most remote regions of our globalised world, exploiting local people and lax laws or enforcement for personal gain.The nature of wildlife crime has also changed.