IFAW Infographic Exposes Shocking Facts About Illegal Ivory Trade in U.S.

Wake up America! China isn’t the only country contributing to the illegal ivory trade. The U.S. is a close second! The great elephant, the gentle giants of the world, are slowly being driven to extinction by the ridiculous and unnecessary need for their tusks.

The illegal killing of elephants and trading of their ivory is a problem fueled in large part by China’s increased economic status but they’re not the only ones buying this illegal product. According to a new infographic released by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the U.S. is a major player in the illegal trade, having the second largest ivory market, with only China ahead of us.

Could we really be the second largest illegal ivory market in the world? It seems shocking at a time when some U.S. cities are going as far as banning elephants from circuses to protect their well being, yet there is a black market for their ivory in this country.  The U.S. is  one of the major economic players in the world so it’s not all that surprising that this market would exist but shouldn’t we be aware of the consequences?

The U.S. has the organizations and resources to be educated about the illegal ivory trade. We should be leaders in the fight to save the elephants but how can we do that if we are a part of the problem? It’s time to take a stand abroad and at home against the illegal ivory trade before it is too late.

These gentle giants deserve a place in this world. They aren’t just an iconic symbol of the exotic lands of Africa and Southeast Asia, they are social and compassionate beings who remember everything. So let’s give them something good to remember and save their species from the illegal ivory trade. The first step in solving this problem is to become aware of the horrible truth, check out the info-graphic below to see how the U.S. participates in the murder of elephants.