Over a ton of confiscated ivory was ceremonially smashed to smithereens in Times Square yesterday to demonstrate a zero-tolerance for elephant poaching and the illicit ivory trade.
The carved contraband had been seized from shop owners in New York City and Philadelphia who continued to deal in the lucrative artifacts, despite the fact that such items are now criminally banned.
Ivory comes from the tusks of slaughtered elephants who are fast becoming an endangered species because of the brutal practice.
In fact, wildlife conservationists say that more are annually killed for the highly-prized material than are being born in the same timeframe.
Worldwide, about 35,000 elephants are butchered each year by ivory poachers and profiteers, and Manhattan is unfortunately the main retail destination of the natural product for which they’re being mass murdered.
In recognition of such cruelties, New York State passed a law last year outlawing ivory merchandising, thus raising the stakes considerably for dealers sidestepping the ivory ban with a threat of jail time and civil penalties.
For those not yet caught doing business on the black market, yesterday’s symbolic ivory-crushing event in Times Square was intended to send a very stern warning.
"The United States will not tolerate wildlife crimes, especially against iconic and endangered animals,” announced Sally Jewell, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
"This is an illegal product,” echoed Wildlife Conservation Society spokesman John Calvelli, and pulverizing it into a pile of worthless dust "makes it really clear that it will never be used again."
