U.S. Crushes 6 Tons of Seized Ivory to Save Elephants
The U.S. government destroyed nearly six tons of ivory by crushing the products into tiny pieces. This symbolic event aimed to bring attention to the corruption and illegal activity surrounding the killing of elephants for the ivory trade. Originally published November 15, 2013
Yesterday the United States government destroyed six tons of ivory, nearly all of the ivory in its possession.
It was a ceremony covered by media from around the world, including China CCTV television, Al Jazeera, HBO's VICE, CBS, and Reuters. The International Fund for Animal Welfare and the World Wildlife Fund co-hosted the event with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In contrast to the Philippines, which in June used hacksaws, a small roller, and a backhoe to break up its ivory stock before sending it to be incinerated in a crematorium used for stray animals, the U.S. brought in a massive rock crusher capable of pulverizing 150 to 200 tons of material an hour.
A bulldozer picked up
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