World: Wildlife group: Despite worldwide ban, ivory seizures hit record levels in 2011
- 23 tons amount of ivory acquired from 13 major seizures in 2011
- 2,500+ number of elephants that died to produce that much ivory source
- » This despite a global ban on ivory trade: What’s causing the black-market trade of ivory? According to Traffic, a group that monitors wildlife trading, much of this is as a result of larger Asian influence on the continent. “We’ve reached a point in Africa’s history where there are more Asian nationals on the continent than ever before,” said Traffic official Tom Milliken, based in Zimbabwe. “They have contacts with the end-use market and now they are at the source in Africa. This is all adding up to an unprecedented assault on elephants and other wildlife.”