Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

An Elephant's Tusk Never Forgets

As the Siberian permafrost melts, it’s revealing an increasing number of millennia-old woolly mammoth tusks. These ancient tusks might be sating some of the global demand for ivory from endangered African elephants. But not enough. Between poaching and habitat loss, African elephant populations have plummeted in recent decades. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . To try to evade the law, some smugglers mix legally…

How unsustainable wildlife trade threatens North Korea’s biodiversity

A number of reports in recent years have linked North Korea to illegal wildlife trade, in particular the attempted smuggling of millions of dollars worth of rhino horns and elephant tusks across Africa. But the DPRK’s trafficking in exotic animal parts is far from the full extent of this activity, with some of the most […] The post How unsustainable wildlife trade threatens North Korea’s biodiversity appeared first on NK PRO.

Scientists develop new tool to detect illegal elephant ivory

“There are concerns that this is happening with mammoth and elephant ivories."

Scientists find way to identify elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

The method could help law enforcement fight illegal ivory trade.

How Prehistoric Mammoth Tusks Could Help Bust Modern-Day Ivory Smugglers

A new forensic test could help identify poached elephant ivory being disguised and smuggled as legal mammoth tusks.

Wildlife forensic scientists develop new tool to detect elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory

To save elephant populations from extinction, the international community banned the sale of their ivory—but selling mammoth ivory remains legal, and the two are difficult to tell apart, especially for non-experts. This leaves a possible loophole for sellers of poached ivory to exploit.