S
omewhere in Hong Kong,
stored in an undisclosed
warehouse, sits almost
30 tonnes of confiscated
elephant ivory.
The stockpile has grown steadily
since 1976, as customs officers
continue to locate and seize carvings
and tusks hidden within shipping
containers arriving from Africa,
usually en route to China.
Sadly, it represents a grisly toll,
with an estimated 11,000 elephants
having suffered brutal deaths in order
to be parted with their prized front
teeth.
But this month, the Hong Kong
government sends a powerful message
to the rest of the world that the illegal
trade will not be tolerated. Ninety-five
per cent of the ivory is scheduled to be
incinerated, with the first few batches
expected to burn mid-May.
It’s a reverse decision by the
government, which last year was
reluctant to destroy the stockpile.
The turnaround has been partly
attributed to the efforts of a group of
Hong Kong schoolchildren dubbed
the “Elephant Angels”. These are five
motivated kids who refuse to accept
a future without elephants – a likely
scenario if poaching continues at the
current rate.
“Tens of thousands of elephants
are slaughtered each year – whole
herds, including the young ones
for their baby tusks,” says 12-year-
old Nellie. “Someone needs to do
something. Why not us?”
Supported by conservation group
HK for Elephants, the “Angels” have
made gigantic strides in the past six
months. They were instrumental in
leading an anti-ivory demonstration
through the streets of Kowloon,
and were successful in removing
“educational” ivory from a prominent
As the first batches of Hong Kong’s contraband ivory are
destroyed this month, a team of young animal crusaders has
taken up its next major challenge, and discovered some valuable
life lessons along the way, writes
Katrina Shute
.
Elephant
Angels
42
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