The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation displayed at its headquarters Thursday nearly two tons of ivory DEC Officers have confiscated over the last several years.
The ivory tusks, trinkets, statues, jewelry, and other decorative items will be crushed in Central Park, New York City, on Aug. 3rd while supporters gather to watch, sending a clear message that the state will not tolerate wildlife crime that threatens to wipe out Africa's elephants.
An estimated 96 elephants are killed each day in Africa due to ivory poaching.
Since Governor Cuomo signed New York's ivory ban in 2014, DEC’s enforcement actions have targeted 16 corporations and 31 individuals, seizing thousands of individual ivory pieces with a total market value of nearly $10 million.
DEC’s enforcement actions have targeted 16 corporations and 31 individuals, seizing thousands of individual ivory pieces with a total market value of nearly $10 million.
Partnering organizations include some of the world's most prominent wildlife conservation NGOs:
- African Wildlife Foundation
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- The Humane Society of the United States
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- National Geographic
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Save Animals Facing Extinction
- United States Wildlife Trafficking Alliance
- WildAid
This is the new report out from the wildlife organization TRAFFIC, which shows that DEC’s enforcement actions have had a profound impact on the ivory market in New York:
