Wildlife

Welfare of Animals in the Ivory Trade

The ivory trade drives elephant and rhinoceros poaching at a scale that creates massive individual animal welfare harm and threatens population survival.

Key Facts

Approximately 20,000 African elephants are killed for ivory annually despite international trade bans
Elephants killed for ivory die from spear or gunshot wounds that are rarely immediately fatal
Orphaned elephant calves from poached herds frequently die from stress and malnutrition
Rhino dehorning — removing horns to reduce poaching incentive — causes pain and stress but reduces poaching risk
CITES ivory trade ban in 1989 reduced but did not eliminate international ivory trafficking

Welfare Considerations

Ivory poaching creates severe individual welfare harm: elephants are shot, often non-fatally, and die over hours. Calves witnessing maternal death suffer profound psychological trauma. The scale of killing — tens of thousands annually — makes ivory trafficking one of the most numerically significant wildlife welfare crises. Consumer demand reduction campaigns in Asia have shown measurable impact on reducing demand, making public education a high-leverage intervention.

What You Can Do

Never purchase ivory products regardless of stated age or legality
Support TRAFFIC and WWF anti-poaching intelligence and law enforcement programs
Donate to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for elephant orphan rehabilitation
Advocate for complete domestic ivory market bans in all countries with active markets