THE elephant's tail is emerging as a new money-spinner—and a new cause of concern for conservationists. Unscrupulous poachers, running out of tuskers, are eye-ing the rear end of the animal to make a killing. Says Pramod Kant, a Tamil Nadu forest officer: "Sharp, spiky hairs from an elephant's tail are increasingly being used by the devout and superstitious as talismans and amulets to bring them luck."