Poachers have killed a family of 11 elephants in the Tsavo East National Park in Kenya.
The Kenya Wildlife Service said on Monday the gang of about 10 then hacked off their tusks.
Elephant poaching in Kenya declined sharply after 1989 when the government banned trade in ivory. But there has been a rise in the practice in recent years.
Demand for ornamental ivory is rising fast in Asia in tandem with growing Chinese influence and investment in Africa.
In May, 359 tusks weighing 1.6 tonnes impounded in Sri Lanka were found to have come from the port of Mombasa in Kenya.
Police found 214 tusks worth $US1.32 million hidden in a coffin and fertiliser bags in Tanzania in October.
