Ivory, which comes from elephant tusks, is considered very valuable. Because of the high price of ivory, poachers illegally kill elephants so that they can take their tusks and sell them. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks, and as a result, elephant populations have declined rapidly.
The highest demand for ivory is in China, where tusks are carved into sculptures or used in other products. Many Chinese consider ivory a symbol of luck, wealth, and status. Other countries including the U.S. also have illegal ivory markets. CITES, the international body that governs endangered species, currently prohibits ivory trade because of the risks it poses to elephant conservation. Some African countries oppose this trade ban, while others, like Kenya, support it. In the United States, trading in ivory is prohibited with only a few exceptions. Federal laws and state laws restrict ivory sales.
Many African nations that are home to elephants suffer from other problems such as poverty and political corruption. As a result, the elephant conservation movement has focused on reducing demand in countries that purchase ivory. The long-term survival of the species is dependent upon international cooperative and effective enforcement. If the ivory trade continues at its current rate, elephants may be faced with extinction.