Kenya Burns $150 Million Worth of Ivory, Calls for Ban on Trade

The country held its first such burning in 1989

Kenya’s president torched more than a hundred tons of ivory from about 8,000 animals on Saturday, sending a message that trade in animal parts must be stopped, according to NBC News.

"Kenya is making a statement that for us, ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants," President Uhuru Kenyatta told dignitaries before setting light to the first of almost a dozen pyres. 

The ivory piles, which included elephant tusks and rhino horns, would have been worth a fortune to smugglers.

The country, which staged its first such burning in 1989, is seeking a total world ban on ivory sales as poaching poses an increased risk to endangered species. The call for the ban has been backed by Ali Bongo, president of Gabon, which is home to the forest elephant. 

Contact Us