Stories & Insights

Ivory is often marketed as a luxury item, a symbol of wealth and status. However, the reality behind it is far from luxurious. Ivory is violence carved into something people display, a reminder of the brutal killing of elephants for their valuable tusks. Elephants are not born without tusks, and their tusks are not just a decorative feature. They are an integral part of their anatomy, used for defense and digging. However, their tusks are ripped from them after death, or wors

Most people associate wildlife exploitation with poaching. But poaching is only the beginning of a much larger system. Every tusk, horn, skin, or trafficked animal is tied to a global network built on profit, corruption, and demand. What starts in remote areas often ends in luxury markets, private collections, traditional medicine industries, exotic pet trades, or illegal online sales worldwide. Image credit: South China Morning Post The Illegal Wildlife Trade The illegal wil