A government official carries a box of ivory products at a confiscated ivory destruction ceremony in Beijing, China, on May 29, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon
DNA testing on tons of ivory seized from traffickers has identified two elephant poaching "hot spots" in Africa in a development scientists hope will spur a crackdown on the illegal trade decimating the population of Earth's largest land animal.
Scientists say genetic tests on 28 large ivory seizures, each more than half a ton, pinpointed the geographic origin of the tusks from the two types of African elephant, the savanna elephant and the somewhat smaller forest elephant.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
