How much are elephant tusks worth?

Thai Customs recently evaluated smuggled ivory as being worth $1,800 per kilogram—$18,000 per elephant—wholesale. The “street value” retail price of 10 kilograms of carved ivory now runs about $60,000.

What is the current price of ivory?

The price currently paid for raw ivory in Asia, according to an investigation by the Wildlife Justice Commission, is currently between $597/kg and $689/kg, in U.S. dollars. Ivory sourced in Africa and sold in Asia has additional costs such as transportation, taxes and broker commissions.

How much is a large elephant tusk worth?

A single male elephant’s two tusks can weigh more than 250 pounds, with a pound of ivory fetching as much as $1,500 on the black market.

Why are elephant tusks so valuable?

Elephant tusks evolved from teeth, giving the species an evolutionary advantage. They serve a variety of purposes: digging, lifting objects, gathering food, stripping bark from trees to eat, and defense. The tusks also protect the trunk—another valuable tool for drinking, breathing, and eating, among other uses.

Can an elephant survive without its tusks?

From tusked to tuskless Ordinarily, fewer than four per cent of female elephants are born without tusks. So animals that have tusks and therefore have the genes to grow tusks are removed from the population by poachers. Animals that don’t have tusks survive because they don’t appeal to the poachers,” Long explained.

Do elephants die when their tusks are cut off?

Not all elephants die when their tusks are removed. It all depends on the factors of how the tusks are removed in the first place. Domesticated elephants are treated if there appears to be some infection after the removal of tusks. In the wild elephants need their tusks to dug up water during the dry season.

Is it legal to own ivory?

It’s important to understand that simply possessing ivory you already own is not illegal, nor is passing it on to your heirs. Preexisting items manufactured with ivory such as musical instruments used in orchestras, furniture and items such as firearms containing fewer than 200 grams are exempt.

How can you tell real ivory?

The test consists of heating up the point of a needle until it’s red-hot and then pricking what you believe is your ivory carving. If the needle goes in, it’s plastic; if not, it’s probably ivory, or at least bone.

How can I tell if I have real ivory?

Though authentic ivory is made from elephant tusks, people imitate with bone or even plastic, which can be weighted to feel like ivory. You can usually tell if the piece is a fake made of bone by observing the tunnels in the bones – authentic ivory will have no striations.

Do elephants die when tusks are removed?