Today, the worlds elephants are facing a poaching crisis. Around 30,000 African elephants are killed every year for their tusks a rate outpacing their population growth. These majestic animals are killed so their ivory can be made into everything from decorative items to trinkets and later smuggled to supply an insatiable demand for ivory, primarily in Asia, including Thailand. While elephants are revered in Thailand as an integral part of Thai beliefs and culture, the country had one of the worlds second largest unregulated ivory markets.
Some ivory for sale in Thailands markets can still be traced directly back to herds of African elephants that were slaughtered and subsequently smuggled into the country by organized crime syndicates.
Elephants are vital to the natural balance of nature and remain iconic species that are treasured worldwide. The damage caused by the ongoing ivory trade can never be undone but it can be stopped, which is why WWF and TRAFFIC launched a global campaign in 2013 to put an end to the illegal wildlife trade.