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How did ivory poaching threaten elephant populations in Africa?
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ivory carving
Kinugumiut Inupiat incised walrus ivory shaman's figure, c. 1890; in the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution, New York City.
Ivory poaching has posed a severe existential threat to African elephant populations, primarily driven by the commercial demand for ivory to create ornamental carvings and other luxury goods. Because ivory is a durable, dense material prized for its beauty and suitability for carving, it has historically been a target of intense exploitation.123
The impact of this trade on elephant populations has been devastating:
- Population Collapse: Between 1979 and 1989, the number of African elephants in the wild was reduced by more than half, falling from 1,300,000 to 600,000. Similarly, the population of the African forest elephant declined by more than 86 percent between 1989 and 2020.14
- Primary Mortality: Poaching is currently the primary cause of mortality for African forest elephants.4
- Black Market Persistence: Despite international bans, such as those enforced by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, black-market operations have continued into the 21st century to supply artisans in parts of Asia.25
It is a fundamental ethical imperative to protect these sentient beings from extinction caused by human greed and the illegal trade of their tusks.5