Illegal Ivory 'Art'

This box of Asian-style, ivory statuettes is part of a police haul of two tons of illegal ivory confiscated over the past two years in New York City. The haul recently went on display at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation office in Albany (CLICK). It is to create such junk - expensive junk - that thousands of African elephants are being slaughtered for their tusks alone, their carcasses left to rot. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, authorities worldwide confiscated about 27 tons of ivory in 2011, estimating 25,000 to 50,000 elephants were killed that year. In New York it is illegal to sell ivory from elephants killed after 1978. UK and EU laws are even tighter: all trade in ivory is banned, except for "antique" ivory which predates 1/6/1947 (CLICK).