ivory – News Stories About ivory - Page 2

2011's Elephant Carnage:
Tens of Thousands

May 27, 2012 6:43 AM CDT

2011's Elephant Carnage: Tens of Thousands

Populations on decline across Africa, wildlife groups warn

(Newser) - The mass slaughter of elephants and rhinos in Africa by poachers has once again reached crisis levels, warns the world body that tracks endangered species. As many as tens of thousands of elephants were slaughtered by poachers last year alone, and the illegal trade in tusks and horns is "...

2011: Deadly Year for Elephants

Dec 29, 2011 8:39 AM CST

2011: Deadly Year for Elephants

Ivory seizures represent at least 2.5K dead

(Newser) - This year will ring out as one of the deadliest for elephants since ivory sales were banned more than two decades ago. Officials seized tusks from a record 2,500 elephants, and while some of those could be from long-dead animals, the news still isn't good. "As most...

Feds Make $1M Ivory Bust

Jul 27, 2011 1:10 PM CDT

Feds Make $1M Ivory Bust

Philadelphia dealer accused of bringing one ton of tusks to US

(Newser) - Tusks from large numbers of elephants killed by poachers in west and central Africa ended up in the hands of a Philadelphia art dealer, federal investigators say. The dealer is accused of paying a co-conspirator to travel to Africa, buy raw ivory for carving, and stain it so the specimens...

To Sidestep Ivory Ban, Russia Digs Up Mammoth Tusks

Sep 27, 2010 4:00 AM CDT

To Sidestep Ivory Ban, Russia Digs Up Mammoth Tusks

Tusk treasure trove lies beneath Siberian ice

(Newser) - Russia is turning to the Siberian soil to satisfy an appetite for "ethical ivory." Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the worldwide ban on elephant ivory and digging up giant woolly mammoth tusks to sell abroad.Michelle Obama has been spotted wearing jewelry made from the ancient tusks of...

Thailand Seizes $2M
in Elephant Tusks

Apr 21, 2010 6:00 AM CDT

Thailand Seizes $2M in Elephant Tusks

Smuggled ivory found in boxes marked computer printers

(Newser) - Thai authorities repeated a warning for tourists not to buy ivory products of any kind in the country after finding a massive haul of tusks at Bangkok's airport Saturday. Officials, acting on a tipoff from authorities in Qatar, uncovered 296 African elephant tusks worth an estimated $2 million in boxes...

Elephants on Verge
of Extinction

Oct 19, 2009 1:44 PM CDT

Elephants on Verge of Extinction

Illegal hunting could kill off African population in 15 years

(Newser) - Within 15 years, African elephants could be extinct as a consequence of rampant ivory poaching, conservation experts say. Africa's elephant population numbers just 600,000, and that number appears to be dwindling by about 38,000 a year. That’s faster than the birth rate. One animal welfare group is...

Poachers'
Poison Slays
Rare Elephant

Jun 15, 2009 3:39 AM CDT

Poachers' Poison Slays Rare Elephant

Giant male ate spiked pineapples

(Newser) - A rare Sumatran elephant died after eating pineapples spiked with poison by poachers in northwestern Indonesia, officials report. The giant 30-year-old male, its tusks ripped out for the ivory, was the ninth Sumatran elephant found dead in the region in the last three months. At least seven of them were...

Namibia's Ivory Sale
Raises Poaching Fears

Oct 29, 2008 7:31 AM CDT

Namibia's Ivory Sale Raises Poaching Fears

Legal auction could lead to more poaching

(Newser) - Namibia kicked off two weeks of ivory auctions yesterday, marking the first time in almost a decade that the elephant tusks have sold legally, reports the Times of London. Seven tons brought $1.18 million from Chinese and Japanese buyers, and 108 tons—the equivalent of 10,000 elephants—will...

EBay Bans Ivory Sales

Oct 22, 2008 4:23 AM CDT

EBay Bans Ivory Sales

Total ban announced ahead of report showing site fuels trade in wildlife products

(Newser) - EBay will introduce a total ban on ivory sales after the holidays in a bid to prevent elephant poaching, Ars Technica reports. The company banned international sales of ivory on its site in 2007 but critics say it did little to halt the trade in illegal ivory. Conservationists estimate 20,...

Numbers
Soaring,
S. Africa Mulls
Elephant Cull

Aug 21, 2008 2:19 PM CDT

Numbers Soaring, S. Africa Mulls Elephant Cull

In 13 years since killing ban, overpopulation posing serious threat

(Newser) - South Africa's 1995 ban on culling elephants has proven wildly successful—perhaps too successful, writes Karen Lange in National Geographic. As the population has skyrocketed from 8,000 to 13,000 in the years since, starving elephants are now ravaging vegetation and taxing the nation's ecosystem, forcing experts to consider...

UN Approves China to Buy Ivory

Jul 16, 2008 5:29 AM CDT

UN Approves China to Buy Ivory

Critics say allowing imports plays 'Russian roulette' with elephants' lives

(Newser) - China has been given a green light to begin importing African ivory by a UN body that banned the sale 10 years ago, a decision that has infuriated conservation groups, the Daily Telegraph reports. African states say they need to sell stockpiles of ivory from elephants that are culled or...

Illegal Poaching Funds Militant Groups

Mar 2, 2008 6:35 PM CST

Illegal Poaching Funds Militant Groups

US lawmakers to probe $10B wildlife trade in hearings this week

(Newser) - Shipments of African contraband such as ivory, tiger parts, and rhino horn are funding militant groups and perhaps terrorists, Newsweek reports. After the theft of $1.3 million in ivory in Chad last year and a reported rise in contraband smuggling, US lawmakers have become interested: A House hearing on...

Elephants Go on the Offense in Africa

Jul 15, 2007 12:57 PM CDT

Elephants Go on the Offense in Africa

Farmers all ears on ways to stop attacks by vengeful beasts

(Newser) - Elephants are now endangering Southern Africans, as attacks on humans increase and the creatures savage farms. While tourists tend to see the mammoths as cuddly and harmless, Africans tell the Times that the peril is becoming an elephant in the room. "Elephants are horrible things to live next door...

Africans OK Nine-Year
Ivory Ban

Jun 15, 2007 6:30 AM CDT

Africans OK Nine-Year Ivory Ban

But first, countries approve a one-time mammoth sale

(Newser) - Four southern African countries will hold a one-time sale of 200 tons of stockpiled ivory before the start of a nine-year moratorium, in a hard-fought conservation compromise. Proceeds from the blowout will be used in elephant conservation efforts in the future. "It's the best we could achieve for the...