Ivory Poachers Shift To Hippo Teeth As Elephants Gain Protections
- 7 years ago
With the demand for hippopotamus teeth increasing, poachers are beginning to threaten the species.
Greedy ivory hunters are shifting their focus from elephants, which are more protected by laws and international regulations, to the vulnerable Africa hippopotamus.
The trading of hippo teeth is regulated, but difficult to enforce, often exceeding international quotas. Three-fourths of Hong Kong's "legal" hippo teeth come from Uganda and Tanzania, countries that deploy drones to protect elephants from poachers — but not hippos (yet).
Greedy ivory hunters are shifting their focus from elephants, which are more protected by laws and international regulations, to the vulnerable Africa hippopotamus.
The trading of hippo teeth is regulated, but difficult to enforce, often exceeding international quotas. Three-fourths of Hong Kong's "legal" hippo teeth come from Uganda and Tanzania, countries that deploy drones to protect elephants from poachers — but not hippos (yet).