For The First Time, China Crushes Tons Of Ivory Into Dust
Ivory crush Some of the ivory crushed by the U.S. government in November 2013. USFWS / YouTube There is little good news when it comes to elephants--the animals are in trouble due to record levels of poaching, to feed the illegal ivory trade. More than 30,000 elephants are killed for their tusks each year, a total of about one every 15 minutes on average. Scientists and environmentalists have singled out China as the prime market and destination for African ivory, and the country has done little to address the problem, they say. Today (Jan. 6), however, China crushed 6 tons of ivory in its stockpile, the same amount crushed by the United States in November. It's an important first step toward fighting elephant poaching, according to several environmental groups. "Environmentalists said they hoped that...