When Will the World See That Ivory Trade Is Pointless, Yet Incredibly Hurtful?
The world has been dealing with an unprecedented rise in the illegal ivory trade and animal poaching during the last few years, threatening to overturn decades of wildlife conservation efforts. Every 15 minutes, an African elephant is killed for its tusks. This means almost 100 specimens dying every day, hunted by poachers who seek ivory to sell on the illegal market. The most recent official reports state that there are only 415,000 African elephants left in their natural habitat. Therefore, considering the rate at which they are being killed, the largest land mammals in the world might be completely extinct in a decade. And for what? For their teeth…
Elephants Need Their Tusks to Survive
An elephant's ivory tusk is actually its incisor tooth. The tusks are so elongated because the mammals need them for a variety of essential tasks to help them survive in the wild. They are also strong weapons needed in battles against other elephants or against potential predators, such as tigers or lions.
Elephants use their tusks for foraging, stripping tree bark to eat, moving things out of the way, and even digging water holes, which other animals can benefit from too. These beautiful mammals have been called Africa's "super-gardeners", because, without them and their ivory teeth, hundreds of plant species and trees would have ceased to exist. Finally, an elephant's tusks are also used as display elements, in order to attract the interest of females.
It is clear that, even though they're "just teeth", an elephant's tusks are essential to its survival and wellbeing. Taking out the tusks will not necessarily result in death as a direct consequence, but it makes it basically impossible to survive in the wild long-term.
Moreover, these elongated teeth are "alive", meaning that their inside is filled with tissue that contains nerves and blood vessels. If a specimen has its tusks broken off, the inside pulp, with all those blood vessels end nerves, will remain exposed, which can lead to a massive infection and, eventually, death.
The scenario is incredibly grim even if the elephants are left alive after taking their tusks, but the reality is that, in most cases, poachers simply kill them instead of tranquilizing them, because they want to avoid getting arrested and tranquilizing such a large mammal is dangerous, expensive, time-consuming, and requires extensive knowledge.
We're Killing Thousands of Elephants for Something We Don't Even Need
Despite the barbarism involved in acquiring ivory and the increased awareness thanks to wildlife conservation activists, the illegal ivory trade is on the rise. Elephant poaching has already killed off entire populations in western Africa and the price of raw ivory is around $1,000 per pound in China – almost 3 times the price it had back in 2010. What's the reason behind this huge demand?
Ivory tusk trade is certainly not a recent issue. Ivory has been used since ancient times, not only for its aesthetics, but rather for its properties – its durability and the ease of which it could be carved made it valued and suitable for various purposes. Historians have discovered many ancient practical tools made of ivory, such as bow and spear tips, combs, buckles, needles, chopsticks and so on. Thousands of years ago, ivory was the best material to use for crafting certain objects – if not the only valid option. But today, thanks to technology, we have numerous – and even better – alternative materials, and therefore it does not have a practical purpose anymore. We do not NEED ivory.
Today, using ivory is just wasteful – it is only a matter of aesthetics or a status symbol, similar to the case of diamonds. Like diamonds, ivory is just a natural substance with no real inherent value, but prized as a symbol of luxury and social status. An ivory tusk is simply dentine, and its composition is no different from an ordinary tooth. However, according to a recent National Geographic survey, the allure of the "white gold" among fashionistas and the middle classes, who see it as a way to create an image of power and wealth, is so strong that all the wildlife conservation efforts during the past decade seem unable to compete with it. And so, the barbaric mass killing of innocent beings continues for something humans have no practical use for.
We Must Do Something to Save the Elephants
It is illegal to buy and sell ivory unless the item was made before June 1947 under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.) but this hasn't proved effective in stopping the illegal ivory trade. Wildlife conservation organisations and governments have put in great effort into stopping elephant poaching, approaching the issue form different fronts, and they have seen some gains, but it is clear that there is a lot more to be done. In Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, the elephant population seems to have been stable and even increasing for the last 6 years, while East Africa is still highly affected by poaching. In South Africa, however, while the region hasn't been as affected as other regions, the area is now facing a rising poaching threat.
Elephant poaching is severely punished by law, but the fear of retribution does not seem to seem intimidate poachers. Wildlife conservation organisations and local governments are doing their best to stop the killing, implementing systems to intercept traffickers and creating incentive programs that reward the locals for successfully protecting the elephant populations. International communities come together to help save the elephants, trying to put together a coherent, systematic plan.However, according to National Geographic, the elephants' fate will depend, to a great extent, on whether people can be convinced not to buy ivory. Just like in the case of drugs, as long as there is a demand for it, there will always be someone willing to sell it, regardless of the consequences – and thus elephant poaching will continue. And while many buyers express genuine concern regarding animal cruelty, through rationalization, they manage to build an argument in their own mind as to why buying ivory isn't harmful. Some convince themselves that the elephants will be okay and that their tusks will just grow back; others feel that buying "just a small piece of ivory" will not have such a big impact on elephant populations.
Considering the above, the best solution might lie in employing creative awareness programs to change the perception that ivory is an exotic, fashionable status symbol. And if we all work together, we can succeed!
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