Ifaw organized a large-scale destruction of ivory in Reims, France to warn of trafficking responsible for the deaths of thousands of elephants.

Text and photos : Elisabeth Perotin

The tusks of around 180 elephants, were crushed, then incinerated

Elephant tusks, jewelry, statuettes, reduced to ashes : 1.8 tons of ivory was destroyed this Tuesday in Reims, at the initiative of an NGO, to help stem the trade, fatal to elephants. From the raw or worked tusk to the game of mahjong: 1,800 kg of objects, equivalent to the tusks of around 180 elephants, were crushed, then incinerated, under the control of a bailiff, this Tuesday, in Reims. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) organized a large-scale destruction of ivory on November 28. It aims to stem its trade and warn of trafficking responsible for the deaths of thousands of elephants each year.

“I donate my ivory” campaign

Launched in 2015 by IFAW, the “I donate my ivory” campaign aimed at encouraging people who own any ivory object – tusks, trinkets, jewelry – to hand it over for destruction has been a real success. Since then, the IFAW team has noticed increasing requests and many people are still asking for a solution to get rid of their objects. Through this collaboration, law enforcement recognizes the importance of providing a response to individuals requesting to relinquish their ivory objects. Since 2015, hundreds of raw or worked objects and tusks, resulting from seizures and especially donations from individuals, have been noted by IFAW, the OFB and French customs. The time has come to destroy this stock to ensure that these objects are never reintroduced into the commercial circuit.

One tree in Zimbabwe per kilo of ivory received

In total, these 1,800 kilos represent around 180 elephants, which were coveted for their tusks to make decorative items. The quantity of objects collected above all shows the importance of perpetuating in the future a secure system for collecting and destroying ivory, supported by the State. IFAW France is also committed to planting one tree in Zimbabwe per kilo of ivory received in order to help restore the habitat of elephants, the destruction of which is among the main causes of the ongoing erosion of biodiversity.