Joseph Okanga / Reuters

A Kenya Wildlife Service warder inspects a section of elephant tusks. Police in Kenya have seized two tonnes of ivory worth $1.15 million, the biggest haul on record in the East African country.

By James Macharia, Reuters

"This is a big catch, the biggest ever single seizure of ivory at the port of Mombasa," said Kiberenge Seroney, the port's police officer in charge of criminal investigations.

"We fail to understand where one gathers the courage to park such enormous quantities of ivory, hoping that they can slip through our security systems."

Poaching is a growing problem for sub-Saharan African countries reliant on rich wildlife in their game reserves to draw foreign tourists.  Full story

Joseph Okanga / Reuters

A worker arranges elephant tusks recovered from a container on transit, at the Kenyan port city of Mombasa on Jan15.

Keith Bedford / Reuters

Seized illegal ivory elephant charms are displayed as New York's District Attorney Cyrus Vance speaks during a news conference to announce the guilty pleas of two ivory dealers and their business for selling illegal elephant ivory, in New York on Thursday. Over $2 million worth of illegal elephant ivory was seized in the course of the investigation.

Keith Bedford / Reuters

Members of the media photograph seized illegal ivory items during New York's District Attorney Cyrus Vance's news conference.

WBOY-TV reports that this is the largest illegal ivory seizure in recent New York state history.

•Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

Follow @msnbc_pictures

Photos by Tony Karumba / AFP - Getty Images

Kenya Wildlife Services personnel secure an elephant that has been sedated for collaring.

A Kenyan Wildlife Services veterinarian prepares to shoot a tranquilizer dart into an elephant at the Tsavo-East National park on March 19, 2012 during the second phase of a collaring exercise funded by International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Kenya Wildlife Services in the wake of a dramatic increase in elephant killings.

Kenya's estimated 30,000 elephants have come under growing risk as poachers continue to kill animals for their prized tusks.

See more PhotoBlog posts about elephants.

Follow @msnbc_pictures

•Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

A just-revived elephant tries to stand back up after it was sedated for collaring.