Where to get ivory

New ivory is also being illegally sold under this exemption, making the issue even more complex. Any trade in ivory, even where legal, causes consumer and enforcement confusion, and provides a cover for the laundering of illegally sourced ivory. Although this creative idea may seem like a quick solution, it is not sustainable.

Dying the tusks of elephants would involve capturing and sedating the animals. This process would likely cause great risk and distress to the animals that could be detrimental to individuals and herds. In addition to the risks associated with anesthetizing an animal as massive as an elephant let alone a whole herd , tusks continually grow. At this rate, we would have to re-dye the elephants' tusks annually—an unfeasible task in size.

To end elephant poaching and the trade of ivory, we must break every link in the trade chain, from poaching to trafficking to demand. IFAW works to do this in a variety of ways. We work with government officials in Malawi and Zambia to strengthen the capacity of law enforcers and set up anti-poaching units that extend beyond borders in combating wildlife crime and trafficking of wildlife products. In Kenya and Tanzania, we train wildlife rangers and other law enforcement officials in intelligence gathering and data analysis.

We also work with the judicial system to ensure they are able to effectively prosecute those committing wildlife crime. Many people become poachers because they have limited economic alternatives. IFAW works with local communities to create job opportunities that directly and indirectly protect elephants. Traffickers take advantage of the legal trade to launder their illegal wares, which are then presented to buyers as legitimate products.

In fact, both China and the United States recently announced new laws that, if enacted, could significantly limit the amount of ivory in circulation. The bad news is that, like drugs, if there is someone willing to buy, there is always someone willing to sell.

That's why policymakers and conservation groups are now targeting the demand side of the problem. A crucial component of that strategy is gaining a deeper understanding of who buys ivory and why. GlobeScan spent eight months conducting surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups in the five countries in which demand for ivory is known to be concentrated: China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United States. Given that the middle class is growing in some of the countries surveyed, some of these people could become likely buyers in the near future.

But there are specific drivers of demand that resonate more strongly in certain countries than others. A sizeable portion of people in China 44 percent and the Philippines 39 percent view ivory as a token of good luck, compared to smaller numbers in Thailand 25 percent and the United States 17 percent.

And in some countries, reverence and respect for elephants imbues ivory with perceived qualities of rarity and beauty that contribute to its widespread appeal—which, in turn, leads to the slaughter of yet more elephants. The takeaway lesson from the survey is that advocacy focused on the plight of elephants can sustain and increase public support for new measures to restrict the ivory trade—but curbing demand will require messages fine-tuned to resonate with ivory purchasers.

Advocacy efforts on other issues have demonstrated how important it is to get inside the heads of target audiences. Marketing research revealed that teens were already aware of these hazards and tended to view smoking as an act of empowerment and rebellion.

The Truth campaign reversed that perception by showing young smokers the extent to which they were being manipulated by tobacco companies. The campaign against the ivory trade has already begun targeting its messages toward buyers. Similarly creative strategies will be needed to counter perceptions that ivory is a fashionable, exotic status symbol. In Japan, for instance, the popularity of ivory fell in the s after the crown prince spoke out against it.

Unlike deer that shed and regrow their antlers yearly, elephants do not shed their tusks; they must be killed or severely injured to harvest their ivory. Poachers and sellers are part of an illegal, underground black market that is connected with other types of illegal activity, such as terrorist groups. Ivory consumption also has a human cost. While rangers have the challenging job of protecting animals, they also face personal risk and may be estranged from their communities for carrying out their duties.

Conversely, individuals may turn to poaching as a means of supporting their families and, if arrested or killed in the process, may leave their families without a provider.

African elephants are particularly susceptible to poaching because local authorities face challenges in oversight and protection due to limited government resources and difficulties in accessing their habitats. African elephants are likely to become endangered and face a high risk of extinction in the future. The World Wildlife Fund estimates there are approximately , African elephants in the wild today, compared to three to five million during the 19th century.

During the s African elephant populations decreased by almost 50 percent. Since monitoring began approximately 30 years ago, has been the worst year on record, with the largest amount of illegal ivory confiscated worldwide. It has been estimated that 35, elephants are illegally killed each year for their ivory. Asian elephants are still threatened by poaching but not all Asian elephants have tusks.

Regulations differ depending on the source of the ivory, whether from African or Asian elephants. A summary of common questions related to African elephant ivory regulations is presented below. These laws are complex and subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, contact the U.

Trained rangers in these parks are the first line of defense against poachers. Additionally, many wildlife protection organizations such as the FWS African Elephant Conservation Fund , World Wildlife Fund , and Wildlife Conservation Society , partner with local agencies and communities in Africa to support elephant conservation initiatives.

These activities include monitoring elephant populations, protecting habitats, implementing anti-poaching tactics, tracking illegal trade, and increasing education. Elephant populations in some protected areas, such as in Kenya and Tanzania have stabilized or increased due to these conservation methods. The greatest numbers of African elephants today are found in northern Botswana, followed by Tanzania.

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian is committed to raising awareness of the illegal poaching of elephants and the illicit trade of ivory.

Ivory in its collections is from historical collections, and is not contributing to the illegal ivory trade or the extinction of elephants. In addition, the Smithsonian supports research into elephant conservation. Gift of Walt Disney World Co. The elephant does not listen to those who talk behind him. A range of natural and synthetic materials have been used to replicate ivory, especially in recent centuries as ivory has become rarer and more expensive.

Teeth, bones, and antlers from other animals, vegetable ivory from palm nuts, and plastics have all been used as substitutes. To date, the distinctive features of ivory have not been successfully replicated. Nevertheless, substituted materials can look quite similar and distinguishing between them and ivory can be difficult, especially when the object is small and elaborately carved or painted. Visual examination with magnification and a trained eye can aid in identifying different types of ivory and ivory substitutes.

For more definitive identification, certain analytical tools may be used however, these tests are destructive, requiring a small sample be removed from the object.

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR can distinguish between ivory and some substitutes, although bone may be too similar in composition to differentiate. DNA analysis can more definitively identify the animal source, including identification within species and more specific geographic origin such as forest and savannah elephants.

African and Asian elephant ivory can only be distinguished with DNA analysis. Stable isotope analysis is another forensic method applied to ivory that provides information about the habitat in which the elephant lived. Peptide mass fingerprinting is an emerging technique that identifies proteins like ivory and bone and requires a much smaller sample than DNA analysis. Radiocarbon dating or carbon dating can be used to determine the age of ivory.

Here, we are offered with abundant choices, such as rings, necklaces, pens, combs, etc. Right next to the place where an outlet staff member is convincing us to buy ivory items, sit a young man, who seems to be an experienced ivory buyer. He is bargaining with the shop owner, whose name is V.

The black market is operated by double-job secret vendors. With a random question on where to buy ivory products, H. She pulled out from her purse several ivory-like products. Authentic ivory products are only introduced when mutual trust is built between traders and buyers.

It is so nice of her that she even tells us how to differentiate authentic and fake ivory products. An authentic ivory bracelet could be sold at thousands of dollars. Who do not want good cash? Believing that we want to buy authentic ivory jewelries, she makes a phone call to her husband to bring authentic ones from home to show us.

Among those ivory items, the experienced dealers also include a package with an address in Dong Thap province on it. Such shipment is among many others that have been successfully shipped across Vietnam, according to H. She assures us that the shipments encounter no difficulties when boarding on trains or planes. To prove her capacity of offering such products, she shows me some images of whole elephant tusk, which she has sold recently.

She also complains over a pending a dozens-of-thousand-dollar deal for a large elephant teeth due to strict surveillance of local authorities during the Coffee Festival. Her statement is also affirmed by other ivory dealers in Don village.

They all tell us to wait for a few days after being asked for a whole tusk. Apart from the ivory capital, various souvenir outlets in famous tourist attractions across Vietnam also display ivory products. In order to reach more customers, ivory market, despite a black one, also go for e-commerce. After voicing our need for a tailor-made ivory sculpture, an owner of a souvenir outlet in Nguyen Van Cu street in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province told us to add his account in Zalo, a familiar social network to Vietnamese people, to work on the trade deal.

A few days later, N. While N. Similar to N.