The aim is to draw up a global declaration that will tackle animal trafficking. Prince Charles and The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, will attend the meeting, hosted by the government. Conservationists say poaching has reached a crisis point: tens of thousands of elephants, rhinos and tigers are being slaughtered each year. The WWF estimates that the animal black market is worth $19bn (£12bn) a year. Much of the demand comes from Asia, where animal products, such as rhino horns, are used in traditional medicine or are bought by the rich as trophies.

Delegates from China and Vietnam will be attending the meeting, held at Lancaster House on Thursday. They will be joined by representatives from African states, where the bulk of poaching takes place. In South Africa, 1,004 rhinos were killed in 2013, and across the whole continent it is estimated that more than 20,000 elephants were slaughtered for their tusks in 2012, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Interpol, the international intelligence agency, which will also be present at the meeting, says most of this being driven by organised crime syndicates, who have moved from narcotics and guns onto wildlife. At a symposium held at the Zoological Society of London on Tuesday and Wednesday, conservationists said the problem needed to be tackled on several different fronts. They said improved legislation was needed, rangers needed support on the ground and the growing demand had to be tackled with education and marketing campaigns. Heather Sohl, chief adviser on species for WWF-UK, said: "What we really want to see is these world leaders coming together and agreeing strong action for tackling illegal wildlife trafficking, looking at improving law enforcement and criminal justice, reducing the demand for illegal wildlife products, and ensuring sustainable livelihood's for communities affected by the trade. "We need to have strong action and for those people to take that home to their governments and make sure it is implemented at a scale and urgency that is commensurate for the problems we are seeing." (Source : BBC)