Darcy L. Ogada, a wildlife biologist, who is assistant director of Africa programs for The Peregrine Fund, has written about the killing of African vultures by poachers. The vultures have been helpful in assisting rangers find poachers by their circling of recently killed elephant, rhino, and other wildlife carcasses. The vultures are also being targeted for other reasons as the article outlines. It is not an exaggeration to say that entire ecosystem of many parts of Africa is under threat of extinction. Many iconic wild species are being threatened by poaching and other anthropocentric human endeavors. Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/opinion/the-poisoning-of-africas-vultures.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region®ion=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0