You can join the 96 Elephants Coalition and help save elephants too. Join the coalition to save elephants Here.
But it’s true – the United States is among the largest markets in the world for ivory sales – and it’s killing elephants.
Here’s something else that’s hiding in plain sight. Killing elephants for their tusks is not just about making carvings. Ivory money fuels terrorist groups that kill innocent people, are tied to the drugs and arms trade, and cause instability in nations all over the world.
Stopping the sale of ivory in the U.S. is long overdue. Tell Congress to institute a moratorium on ivory sales.
The Obama Administration has taken strong steps to combat the illegal wildlife trade, and now it’s time to get Congress on board. If we’re not turning up the pressure at every level of government to stop the domestic ivory trade, we’re not doing all we can to save elephants.
Ivory trade laws in the United States are complex and confusing, making it easy to manipulate the system and sell illegal ivory. Worse yet, it shows that our country isn’t a leader on this issue.
Just this fall, several African nations pledged to stop the sale of ivory in their countries and called on the world to do the same. But here in the United States, you can buy ivory in many states. And each year, tons of ivory exchanges hands on U.S. soil. When illegal ivory slips into that market, which it invariably does, a lot of money falls into the hands of organized crime.
The equation is alarmingly simple. Selling ivory equals dead elephants. And it’s happening at a rate unmatched for decades – last year, an average of 96 elephants were killed every day in Africa. If it continues, forest elephant could be extinct within a generation.
The immensity of the crisis is hard to comprehend. But Congress can take a huge leap toward saving elephants. Tell your representatives to establish a moratorium on the sale of ivory in the United States.