Kenya to torch 120 tons of elephant tusks in protest to poaching
Almost invulnerable to nature’s top predators, the majestic elephants are dwarfed by a raging wave of poaching in Africa. In a dramatic gesture to curb the current ivory trade, which is driving these large mammals to extinction, Kenya has decided to torch largest ever stockpile of confiscated ivory in a star-studded event.
The Kenyan government has quite recently announced that it intends to burn some 120 tons of elephant tusks, “the largest stockpile of ivory ever destroyed by any country” to show that it has “zero tolerance” for elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade.
It is estimated that at least 4,000 elephants have been killed to produce this giant stockpile, which could be worth $270 million in black market. The tusks are mainly those seized from poachers, but also from elephants which died naturally.
Slated for April 29 and 30, the anti-poaching event will be attended by Hollywood celebrities and activists, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Elton John, Nicole Kidman as well as English broadcaster David Attenborough.
It is not the first time Kenya will be setting fire on a stockpile of elephant tusks. Last March, 15 tons of ivory were burned so that “future generations of Kenyans, Africans and the entire world" can "experience the majesty and beauty of these magnificent beasts," according to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatt.
Over 30,000 elephants are believed to get killed each year for their tusks, which smuggled into other countries, particularly China, for making ornaments and decoration.
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