A report from the IPS says that Malaysia is a acting as "key staging post" in the illegal ivory trade - with the ivory heading towards our old friends, the wealthy Chinese.
Traditionally, ivory is used to make intricate, expensive collectibles like chopsticks, bookmarks, Chinese cultural figurines as well as ornaments. These find enormous favour with the neo-rich in China as well as among the significant minorities of wealthy people of Chinese descent in outlying countries like Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. They are willing to pay a considerable price for the objects of their desire.
Since June 2011, close to 50 tons have been seized in Malaysia, an amount, experts say that would account for the deaths of nearly 150 African elephants, which are slowly being pushed onto the endangered list. Officials at the airport there fear that the 50 tons that they've managed to get their hands on is but the tip of the iceberg. So much for signing up to international treaties.
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