On October 8th, the Obama administration will publicly destroy its ivory stockpile, totaling some six tons, according to a White House forum yesterday on the illegal wildlife trade. The destruction of the stockpile—via crushing—is meant to send a message that the U.S. is taking a tougher stand on illegal the wildlife trade, which is decimating elephants across Africa and imperiling other animals worldwide. The U.S. remains one of the biggest destinations for ivory and other illegal animal part aside from East Asia.

“Wildlife trafficking has doubled since 2007, and it’s now estimated to be the fourth largest transnational crime in the world,” Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said at the forum.

The Obama Administration has been taking a hard look at the illegal wildlife trade recently as the illicit trade—worth an estimated $19 billion a year—is believed to fund other organized criminal activities such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, illegal arms, and even terrorism. In July, President Obama announced a $10 million to help train wildlife rangers and police officers to combat the trade while he traveled in East Africa.

The forum yesterday was also attended by former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who warned that if poaching rates don’t fall, “African forest elephants will be extinct within 10 years.” African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. However forest and savanna elephants are not distinguished in the listing, though recent research has shown that forest elephants are likely a distinct species.

Experts currently estimate that around 30,000 elephants have been killed annually for their tusks. Poaching of other species, such as rhinos, tigers, and gorillas, has also been skyrocketing.

The U.S. government is also setting up a new advisory council on wildlife trafficking to help assist new efforts moving forward.

“By crushing this ivory stockpile, the U.S. government is sending a signal. If we’re going to solve this crisis we have to crush the demand, driven by organized crime syndicates who are robbing the world of elephants and stealing the natural heritage of African nations,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF and a member of the new council. “It’s a global phenomenon. So we hope this encourages other governments to take bold, decisive steps to curb the demand for illegal elephant products.”

The U.S. has been stockpiling confiscated ivory since the global ban in 1989.



Herd of African elephants crossing a river in Kenya. Photo by: Rob Roy.

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