The United States government will crush a 1-ton stockpile of illegal ivory in the middle of New York City’s Times Square on Friday 19 June (The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. and will be open to the public).
This momentous event, hosted by African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and other leading conservation groups, shows a renewed commitment on behalf of the U.S. government to fight wildlife trafficking and protect Africa’s vanishing elephants.
This is the second time the U.S. will crush a stockpile of smuggled ivory. In November 2013, the government destroyed nearly 6 tons of confiscated ivory to send the “clear message that the United States will not tolerate ivory trafficking and the toll it is taking on elephant populations,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The upcoming crush brings with it hope that with the support of the U.S. and other countries that have destroyed their stockpiles, Africa’s elephants will have a brighter future.
