Poachers turn to Gabon as last refuge of forest elephants Poachers are decimating Gabon's elephant population, in the heart of central Africa's tropical forest basin. About 11,000 elephants have been gunned down for their tusks in less than ten years in the Minkebe national part, the most threatened of three in the region. Now Gabon is deploying scores of "eco-guards to ward off poachers honing in on a prime continental target. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES