China Destroys Illegal Ivory to Raise Awareness about Elephant Poaching

The Chinese government has taken a major step to prevent elephant poaching by destroying illegal ivory and other wildlife products.

China's State Forestry Administration and the General Administration of Customs destroyed confiscated ivory and other wildlife products at a public ceremony on Jan. 6 in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.   This anti-poaching message sent across by the government of China  was acknowledged and welcomed by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

This demolition of ivory follows the U.S. government's destruction of six tons of Illegal ivory in the month of November in Colorado, that was seized over the past 25 years by law enforcement officers.

Said Cristian Samper, WCS President and CEO, in a statement, "If China were to destroy the remainder of its ivory stocks and lead the world by committing not to buying ivory in the future, it would have a transformative, positive impact on the survival of African elephants. We congratulate China's government for showing the world that elephant poaching and illegal ivory consumption is unacceptable. We are hopeful that this gesture shows that we can win the war against poaching and that elephants will once again flourish." 

Highlighting the government's increased enforcement against wildlife crimes, last month five poachers were arrested in the Jilin Province. Earlier, an elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade story in a leading Chinese newspaper created a lot of interest in the people and it went viral over the social media. The burning of the illegal ivory products was a direct result of this widespread interest in the wrongdoings.

Ivory trafficking is at its peak and the wildlife officials are taking strict measures in protecting elephants, rhinos and other species from illegal wildlife trafficking.

Currently, in Central Africa there are 100,000 elephants existing in the wild and this population is low compared to the huge elephant population that once existed almost 30 years ago. It is reported that in a decade, nearly two third of the African elephants will be slaughtered in the name of ivory trade.

To end ivory trafficking, WCS is working in 11 African nations and nearly 7 Asian countries to arrest the illegal killing and trafficking of elephants and rhinos. 

This step taken by The Government of China is a symbol of the government's increasing awareness to end ivory trade.