Is the Ivory Trade Harmful to Elephants?
Ivory is a unique substance found in several animals including walruses, whales, rhinos, hippopotami, and, most famously, elephants. The close grained creamy white to yellow teeth of these animals lend themselves to carving and have been used in art for centuries by skilled craftspeople. However, an animal must be slaughtered to obtain ivory, since the bulk of the material is actually embedded deep within the skull. This has resulted in the decimation of many animal populations, particularly elephants, leading to severe restrictions on the global ivory trade. The word “ivory” first appeared in the English language in the twelfth century, and is probably derived from several African words meaning elephant. Elephants have been slaughtered for their valuable ivory for centuries, because their massive size leads to a large yield of the precious material. Had elephants been sustainably and sensibly harvested for their ivory, the ivory trade might not have become an issue. Unfortunately, in
