Australian Hank Jenkin, a former top official from Cites, which regulates the global trade in endangered species, was recruited as a consultant by wealthy businessmen and the Chinese government to provide elephants for Chinese zoos and safari parks.

"The demand in China for elephants is huge," Jenkin said, adding that there was tremendous wealth there and a lot of new safari parks opening.

Now The Times has learnt that more than 100 baby elephants face exportation from Zimbabwe to China.

This comes days after a baby elephant died while awaiting export with 36 other animals. The death of the calf prompted former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan to write on his Facebook page yesterday that he was "deeply saddened to learn that 36 baby elephants have been brutally taken from their mothers".