The Race to Save the  Elephants

Last fall, rangers in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park made a gruesome discovery: the carcasses of more than 20 elephants, all killed by poachers. The animals had been poisoned and their ivory tusks hacked off to be sold.

The scene is grimly familiar in sub-Saharan Africa. Even in protected wilderness areas, rangers are no match for determined poachers, who kill an estimated 35,000 elephants annually for their valuable tusks. The illegal ivory is then smuggled to other countries where demand for the material is high. There, it’s carved into statues, jewelry, and other keepsakes that can sell for thousands of dollars each. This illegal trade has more than doubled since 2007, and it has pushed Africa’s ­elephants toward extinction.

But now the animals are getting some powerful assistance. Last September, China and the United States—the world’s top two ivory markets—pledged to work together to end the illicit trade. In a joint announcement, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to enact “nearly complete bans” on the import and export of all ivory and take steps to halt the domestic trade in both countries. The move signaled fresh hope for elephants and allowed for a welcome moment of cooperation between China and the U.S. (see sidebar “A Tense Relationship,” far right). Once in place, the new rules could be a major step toward ending the poaching crisis that threatens to wipe out elephants.

“We currently face the risk of losing wild elephants during my lifetime,” Obama said recently. “It’d be an unpardonable loss for humanity and the natural world. There’s no question: We need to take urgent action to save one of the planet’s most majestic species.”

Last fall, rangers in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park made a gruesome discovery. They found the bodies of more than 20 elephants, all killed by poachers. The animals had been poisoned and their ivory tusks hacked off to be sold.

The scene is grimly familiar in sub-Saharan Africa. Even in protected wilderness areas, rangers are no match for determined poachers, who kill about 35,000 elephants a year for their valuable tusks. The illegal ivory is then smuggled to other countries where demand for the material is high. There, it is carved into statues, jewelry, and other keepsakes that can sell for thousands of dollars each. This illegal trade has more than doubled since 2007, and it has pushed Africa’s elephants toward extinction.

But now the animals are getting some powerful help. Last September, China and the United States promised to work together to end the illegal trade. They are the world’s top two ivory markets. In a joint announcement, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to enact “nearly complete bans” on the import and export of all ivory. They also agreed to take steps to stop the domestic trade in both countries. The move signaled fresh hope for elephants and allowed for a welcome moment of cooperation between China and the U.S. (See “A Tense Relationship,” p. 17.) Once in place, the new rules could be a major step toward ending the poaching crisis that threatens to wipe out elephants.

“We currently face the risk of losing wild elephants during my lifetime,” Obama said recently. “It’d be an unpardonable loss for humanity and the natural world. There’s no question: We need to take urgent action to save one of the planet’s most majestic species.”

At one time, elephants were too numerous to count in Africa. What has brought the world’s largest land mammal to the point of vanishing? Conservationists say that decades of ineffective regulations have allowed the illegal ivory trade—and the poaching that fuels it—to flourish.

All African elephants have tusks, and have been hunted for them for centuries. (Asian elephants are also poached, but only some have tusks. Most illegal ivory comes from African elephants.) Poaching spiraled out of control in Africa in the late 1970s as global demand for ivory grew. From 1979 to 1989, the African elephant population dropped from 1.3 million to 600,000. 

In 1989, the world took action. The United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)—a treaty that governs wildlife trade—banned international sales of African ivory. The ban went into effect the following year but had several limitations. Among them: Trading ivory imported before 1989 remained legal.

At first, the restrictions worked, and elephant populations began to recover. Then, in 1999, CITES made a controversial decision. It allowed some African countries to auction 55 tons of stockpiled ivory to Japan, with the proceeds going toward conservation. In 2008, China was similarly allowed to buy 68 tons of stockpiled ivory from Africa.

The intention of those sales was to flood the market with legal ivory to lower its value, but the opposite occurred. As more ivory became available, more people wanted it. Demand surged, prices rose, and China’s ivory carving industry—which  had declined under the ban—sprang back to life. China’s government introduced an ivory product certification system meant to prevent illegal  sales, but unethical merchants were able to dodge the rules.

“The ivory market in China is really impossible to regulate,” says Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “Once legal trade was allowed, the whole thing exploded.”

Elephants are the ones paying the price. Poaching has caused African elephant populations to fall to about 500,000 today. The species is classified as vulnerable, meaning it’s likely to become endangered.

At one time, elephants in Africa were too numerous to count. What has brought the world’s largest land mammal to the point of vanishing? Conservationists say that decades of ineffective regulations have allowed the illegal ivory trade and the ­poaching that fuels it to grow.

All African elephants have tusks, and they have been hunted for them for centuries. (Asian elephants are also poached, but only some have tusks. Most illegal ivory comes from African elephants.) Poaching grew out of control in Africa in the late 1970s as worldwide demand for ivory grew. From 1979 to 1989, the African elephant population dropped from 1.3 million to 600,000.

In 1989, the world took action. The United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a treaty that governs wildlife trade. CITES banned international sales of African ivory. The ban went into effect the following year, but it had several limitations. Among them: It was still legal to trade ivory that had been imported before 1989.

At first, the restrictions worked. Elephant populations began to recover. Then, in 1999, CITES made a controversial decision. It allowed some African countries to auction 55 tons of stockpiled ivory to Japan. The profits from the sale went toward conservation. In 2008, in a similar move, CITES let China buy 68 tons of stockpiled ivory from Africa.

The intention of those sales was to flood the market with legal ivory to lower its value. But the opposite occurred. As more ivory became available, more people wanted it. Demand surged, and prices rose. ­China’s ivory carving industry had declined under the ban, but it sprang back to life. China’s government introduced a system for identifying legal ivory products that was meant to prevent illegal sales. But unethical buyers and sellers were able to dodge the rules.

“The ivory market in China is really impossible to regulate,” says Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “Once legal trade was allowed, the whole thing exploded.”

Elephants are the ones paying the price. Poaching has caused African elephant populations to fall to about 500,000 today. The species is classified as vulnerable. That means it is likely to become endangered.

China—where as much as 70 percent of illegal ivory ends up—has long had a love affair with the material. The ivory carving tradition there dates back to at least the Shang dynasty (c. 1600 b.c.-1046 b.c.). Ivory is prized not only for its beauty, but also for the healing properties many people believe it to have. Popular myth holds that ivory powder, for example, can do everything from heal a sore throat to clear up skin.

In the past, ivory products were a luxury only a privileged few could afford. That has changed in recent decades as China has enjoyed an economic boom. In 1978, the Communist country’s leaders adopted reforms that loosened governmental control of the economy. Since then, more than 500 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty. That has allowed vast numbers of people to buy ivory. 

In addition to being a status symbol, ivory has been promoted as a wise investment among Chinese. Gabriel recalls looking at an ivory pot in a Beijing market in 2011. “The shop owner told me, ‘If you buy this today, it will triple its price next year. It’s white gold.’” Indeed, the wholesale price of illegal ivory soared from about $170 per kilogram in 2002 to $2,100 per kilogram in 2014.

Compounding the problem, says Gabriel, is a widespread ignorance of the fact that elephants must be killed for all of their ivory to be harvested.  “The [Mandarin] Chinese word for ivory, xiangya, literally means ‘elephant’s teeth,’” she says. “People think, ‘Well, a tooth can fall out, and you don’t die from it.’”

As much as 70 percent of illegal ivory ends up in China. The country has long had a love affair with the material. The ivory-carving tradition there dates back to at least the Shang dynasty (c. 1600 b.c.-1046 b.c.). Ivory is prized not only for its beauty, but also for the healing properties many people believe it to have. Popular myth holds that ivory powder, for example, can do everything from heal a sore throat to clear up skin.

In the past, ivory products were a luxury only a privileged few could afford. That has changed in recent decades as China has enjoyed an economic boom. In 1978, the Communist country’s leaders adopted reforms that loosened governmental control of the economy. Since then, more than 500 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty. This has allowed vast numbers of people to buy ivory.

Ivory is not just a status symbol. It also has been promoted as a wise investment among Chinese. Gabriel recalls looking at an ivory pot in a Beijing market in 2011. “The shop owner told me, ‘If you buy this today, it will triple its price next year. It’s white gold.’” Indeed, the wholesale price of illegal ivory soared from about $170 per kilogram in 2002 to $2,100 per kilogram in 2014.

Making the problem worse, says Gabriel, is a widespread ignorance of the fact that elephants must be killed to get all the ivory. “The [Mandarin] Chinese word for ivory, xiangya, literally means ‘elephant’s teeth,’” she says. “People think, ‘Well, a tooth can fall out and you don’t die from it.’”

Appetite for ivory isn’t limited to China. The U.S. is the world’s second-largest ivory market, and has its own long history with it. From about 1840 to 1940, the U.S. was the leading importer of ivory. Most of it traveled from Africa to Connecticut, where factories churned out ivory combs, billiard balls, and piano keys. 

As in China, current U.S. ivory laws are complex. Importing African elephant ivory to sell it is against the law, but some items (such as hunting trophies and certain antiques) are allowed in. Also, ivory that was imported or harvested before certain dates can be exported to other countries and sold between states.

These gaps in the law have opened the door to an illegal ivory trade in the U.S. In 2011, for example, one ton of illegal ivory (valued at $800,000) was seized from a Philadelphia art dealer. 

That’s why tightening federal law is critical, experts say. State laws are also key to stopping the illegal ivory, however. Four states—California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington—have passed ivory bans, and other states are considering doing the same. 

“Not only is the U.S. a market, we’re a global influencer,” says 

Jeffrey Flocken, IFAW’s North American regional director. “We have to clean up our own house, get our ivory off the streets, and make our laws definitive and meaningful.”

Appetite for ivory is not limited to China. The U.S. is the world’s ­second-largest ivory market, and has its own long history with it. From about 1840 to 1940, the U.S. was the leading importer of ivory. Most of it traveled from Africa to Connecticut. There, factories churned out ivory combs, billiard balls, and piano keys. 

As in China, current U.S. ivory laws are complex. Importing African elephant ivory to sell it is against the law. But some items, such as hunting trophies and certain antiques, are allowed in. Also, ivory that was imported or harvested before certain dates can be exported to other countries and sold between states.

These gaps in the law have opened the door to an illegal ivory trade in the U.S. In 2011, for example, 1 ton of illegal ivory was seized from a Philadelphia art dealer. Its value: $800,000.

That is why tightening federal laws is critical, experts say. State laws are also key to stopping the illegal ivory, however. Four states—California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington—have passed ivory bans. Other states are considering doing the same.

“Not only is the U.S. a market, we’re a global influencer,” says ­Jeffrey Flocken, IFAW’s North American regional director. “We have to clean up our own house, get our ivory off the streets, and make our laws definitive.”

The vow by Presidents Obama and Xi to end the ivory trade was hailed by conservationists as a landmark move. The two countries agreed to share information and increase cooperation among law enforcement. 

“It is the first time that a U.S. president and a Chinese president have made a specific pledge about saving wildlife,” Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said at the time of the pact.

In the U.S., new federal restrictions could be finalized within months. China’s timeline is less clear, although U.S. officials say they expect the ban to go into effect within the year. Still, questions remain on how it will be carried out. For example, what will happen to China’s remaining legal ivory? 

Already, though, attitudes seem to be changing. Wholesale ivory prices recently dropped in China. Thanks to educational campaigns, public opinion is turning against owning it. That’s good news for African elephants, and everyone who values the species.

“Elephants are beloved by people around the globe,” says Flocken. “They have a right to exist on this planet that we share with them. If we were to lose them, it would be a tragedy.”

The vow by Presidents Obama and Xi to end the ivory trade was hailed by conservationists as an important move. The two countries agreed to share information and increase cooperation among law enforcement.

“It is the first time that a U.S. president and a Chinese president have made a specific pledge about saving wildlife,” Wayne Pacelle said at the time of the pact. He is president of the Humane Society of the United States.

In the U.S., new federal limits could be finalized within months. ­China’s timeline is less clear, but U.S. officials say they expect the ban to go into effect within the year. Still, questions remain on how it will be carried out. For example, what will happen to ­China’s remaining legal ivory?

Already, though, attitudes seem to be changing. Wholesale ivory prices recently dropped in China. Thanks to educational campaigns, public opinion is turning against owning it. That is good news for African elephants—and everyone who values the species.

“Elephants are beloved by people around the globe,” says Flocken. “They have a right to exist on this planet that we share with them. If we were to lose them, it would be a tragedy.”