The U.S. Ivory Crush in Times Square

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U.S Fish &Wildlife's #IVORYCRUSH in NYC

U.S Fish &Wildlife’s #IVORYCRUSH in NYC

On June 19, 2015, in Times Square, New York City, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with wildlife and conservation partners, will host its second ivory crush event. One ton of ivory we seized during an undercover operation, plus other ivory from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, will be crushed in front of VIPs and the general public.

What can you do to help?

The United States is among the world’s largest consumers of wildlife products – both legal and illegal. We have a significant ivory market, and we must continue to be vigilant in combating illegal ivory trade. You can help by not buying items that contain elephant ivory and by spreading this message to your family and friends. The work of law enforcement is an important part of the overall effort to stop wildlife poaching, but the only way to truly stop this slaughter is by ending consumer demand for ivory.

Via U.S. Fish & Wildlife

 

The Battle Against Ivory Trafficking Continues in The Midwest

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Ivory Seizure in Ohio. Photo Credit; FWS

Ivory Seizure in Ohio. Photo Credit; FWS

Thanks to some scrutiny of online auction sites and on the ground package inspections, an ivory trafficker and self-proclaimed 20-year antiques dealer from Ohio has been put out of business. Together, our federal wildlife inspectors and special agents connected the dots to stop a long-running operation that channeled illegal ivory sales through an online auction and shopping website.

Even though African elephants have been protected internationally for decades, more than 30,000 elephants are poached annually for the illegal ivory trade. In 25 years of enforcement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has seized more than six tons of illegal ivory. That tonnage is built upon cases, large and small over the years. This latest case stems from a two-year investigation that began when Chicago-based wildlife inspectors discovered a series of illegal shipments destined for China, all mislabeled and without the required permits.

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Satao – the enigma

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Remembering Satao

Mark Deeble's avatarMark Deeble

obeisance with fb tag

Alive, Satao was almost unknown; dead, he became legend.

How did it happen?

A year ago, Satao fell to a poacher’s poisoned arrow in a remote corner of Tsavo East National Park. When news of his death became known early in June 2014, it circled the globe at a speed any publicity agent would have been proud of. The international press, from Le Monde to The New York Times carried news of his death. It generated millions of tweets and Facebook page reads. There were YouTube tributes, news reports, articles, blog posts… two online petitions signed by 180,000 called for presidential protection for the remaining Tsavo tuskers. A week later, a tribute released on YouTube by the Great Elephant Census – created from the last footage we filmed of Satao, was seen by 135,000. ( http://youtu.be/KjDH_QZd0ok ) News of his death went viral in a way normally reserved only for…

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“AB 96” Passes California Assembly, Awaits Senate

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Via @WildAid.org

Update, Tuesday, June 2. Good news! AB 96, the bill to close ivory trade loopholes in California, has passed overwhelmingly and on a bipartisan basis in the state assembly. The 62-14 vote (with four abstentions) is a big win for Speaker Toni G. Atkins’ bill in the 80-member assembly. The state senate will now take up the legislation; we will keep you posted on upcoming hearings.

“California is a top market for ivory with illegal sales of ivory estimated to have doubled over the past eight years,” said Speaker Atkins (D-San Diego) in a statement released shortly after the vote. “Today we closed a loophole that had kept California a leading market in the sale of illegal ivory. By passing AB 96, we make it harder for illegal sellers to hide and we better protect elephants and rhinos from senseless slaughter and extinction.”

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Petition to Outlaw Ivory and Rhino Horn Products in Ohio

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Black Rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis) and African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Africa. Photo Credit; WWF

Photo Courtesy of WWF

A Call to Action Outlawing Ivory and Rhino Horn in the State of Ohio

The purpose of this petition is to enact legislation banning the import, in-state, and Internet sale and distribution of raw and worked ivory and Rhinoceros horn products in the state of Ohio.

In 2014, President Barack Obama issued an executive order banning the import and export of ivory, yet the United States remains the largest consumer after China as the order fails to include; the import, in-state, Internet, and diplomatic loopholes. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2014)

Trafficking of illegal ivory is a transnational organized crime run by terrorists and radicalists whom threaten our national security, our wildlife, and our people. (IFAW, 2013) “There is no legislation in Ohio and this is what I am working to change.” 

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