Hundreds of experts will gather in Geneva next week to discuss a "disturbing upswing" in the illegal wildlife trade, driven increasingly by ostentatious displays of wealth by the super-rich.
"We're seeing a shift from health to wealth... a significant shift away from (demand for) traditional uses associated with health to uses associated with wealth," said John Scanlon, head of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The rich increasingly like to show off, he said, by buying things like tiger wine -- made by dumping tiger carcasses into vats of rice wine -- while elephant ivory is increasingly seen as an investment by speculators.
CITES is gathering some 400 experts and country representatives for a July 7-11 meeting.
"Among the high priority issues for discussion are the large scale killings of elephants for their ivory and rhinos for their horns, as well as a concerning increase in the illegal trade in Asian big cats," said the wildlife regulator.
CITES, which regulates the trade of some 35,000 animal and plant species, will discuss what actions its 180 member states are taking to fight the problem. It has the power to suspend a country's trade in one or more species if they breach treaty rules.
At a meeting of all CITES members in Bangkok in March last year, several shark species and the manta ray for instance won international protection.
"This is where the rubber hits the road," Scanlon told reporters on Friday.