2/26/2018 African Environmentalists Praise China's Ivory Ban
AS IT IS
African Environmentalists Praise China's Ivory Ban
January 05, 2018
China has made the sale of ivory in the country illegal.
Conservationists have welcomed the decision. ey say any legal ivory trade in the world
hurts e orts to stop the killing of elephants.
Max Graham is the Chief Executive of the group Space For Giants which works to protect
elephants. He said, “ ere’s a new conservation superpower in the world that is taking its
responsibilities seriously.”
He said that the ban on the ivory trade will support a larger struggle against all kinds of illegal
trade in wildlife. e traditional use of wildlife parts in Asia, and especially in China, he said,
has been responsible for the loss of “rare species around the world.”
China announced the ban at the end of 2016. e measure went into e ect in December 2017.
Conservationists are pleased about China’s decision, but they worry about its enforcement.
Frank Pope is the chief of another environmental group, Save the Elephants. He believes the
ban could greatly improve the future for elephants. But there is one problem, he says.
“You’re going to see secondary markets,” he notes. Pope adds that these markets are “…in
Vietnam, in Laos, in Myanmar and in Hong Kong. All of these places have markets that have
boomed” when China announced its ban.
Philip Muruthi is an o cial with the African Wildlife foundation. He also welcomes the ban
but notes the importance of keeping new markets from growing.
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2/26/2018 African Environmentalists Praise China's Ivory Ban
“About 35,000 elephants…are lost each year. ere are 415,000 on this continent (Africa).
at means that in 20 years…we will not have any elephants,” he said.
He added that the loss of the elephant population would destroy Africa’s wildlife tourism and
the jobs that it creates in countries like Kenya and South Africa.
“It’s about the African peoples’ well-being. It’s about our heritage,” he said.
Conservationists say that stopping the illegal killing of elephants for their ivory tusks is
important, but so is managing their living areas. ey urge African governments to do more to
reduce threats to wildlife.
I’m Susan Shand.
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Words in is Story
ivory – n. a hard white substance that forms the tusks of elephants and other animals with
tusks
conservationist –n. a person who works to protect animals, plants and natural resources to
prevent their loss
species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or
plants
tourism –n. the industry of providing hotels, restaurants and entertainment for people who
travel for pleasure
heritage –n. the traditions, history, art and knowledge of a group or nation
tusk – n. a very long, large tooth that sticks out of the mouth of an animal such as an elephant
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2/26/2018 African Environmentalists Praise China's Ivory Ban
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