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February 8,2022
Austin Kuan
What would you do if you had illegally confiscated items worth $10 million waiting for you to deal with? That's a major issue, but let's try to work through it together.
If it is a precious metal smuggled item, it will usually go through a public auction process; if it is a drug, it will usually be soaked in hydrochloric acid to remove the stimulating effect of the drug, and then incinerated as garbage. The first two types of confiscated items, one of which is returned to the market trading system and the other which is made to vanish forever, are relatively easy to judge how to deal with, but what if it is precious ivory?
When it comes to ivory, it's hard not to be saddened by the fact that the global elephant population is dwindling. In the last century, the number of Asian and African elephants has decreased by 90%. The most important reason is the human desire for ivory, which is a rare item. With the expansion of industrial production at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, it became fashionable to make the handles of high-end tableware out of ivory, and a large amount of ivory was exported from Asia and Africa to Europe. With the rise of Japan's national power in the 1970s, people used ivory as a seal. Japan is still the world's largest consumer of ivory today.
An old saying goes, "An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth." Humans only require ivory to make seals, tableware, and handicrafts, but ivory is not like human deciduous teeth, which fall off naturally, and ivory roots go deep into the cheek. Killing an elephant is the quickest way to hunt for ivory. It would be even worse if it were a female elephant, because the baby elephant would die without the mother to breastfeed. Elephants were decimated in Africa and Asia for nearly 100 years prior to 1989. Elephants are becoming increasingly difficult to see, particularly in the African savannah, due to rampant poaching. Consider the African country of Kenya. The reward for an elephant tusk is greater than the annual salary of the locals. It's no surprise that poaching is difficult to eradicate.
Between 1979 and 1989, the number of African elephants fell from 1.3 million to 600,000, ivory became a billion-dollar market, and approximately 80% of ivory came from illegal hunting, with only 20% coming from elephants that died naturally. Kenya discovered that the decline in elephant numbers not only harmed the ecological balance among animals, but also made tourists less willing to visit Kenya because it became increasingly difficult to see elephants on the African savannah. Whether for humanitarian or economic reasons, the Kenyan government is finding it necessary to work hard to protect the elephants. Initially, the Kenyan government increased fines or penalties for elephant hunters, even sentencing them to death at one point, but the situation did not improve because if the punishment were too severe, it would allow officials to bribe officials and render the punishment ineffective. What should we do? Do we want to see elephants become extinct?
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Richard Leakey, a well-known archaeological anthropologist, was appointed president of the Kenya Wildlife Conservation Society in 1989, at the age of 45. Richard's parents are both well-known British archaeological anthropologists who have excavated early human skulls as part of the excavation process. At the time, the academic community accepted that humans originated in Asia, but Richard's parents' archaeological discoveries led everyone to believe that humans may have originated in Africa as well. Richard was born in Kenya to Richard's parents. Richard inherited his parents' profession and chose to stay in Kenya as a result of his parents' influence. Richard later excavated many Homo erectus’ skulls and skeletons, providing stronger evidence for the origin of humans in Africa. Richard's archaeological discoveries catapulted him to international acclaim. But he couldn't stand seeing dead elephants in many parts of Kenya, so he had to take action.
When Richard took office, the Wildlife Conservation Society had 12 tons of confiscated illegal ivory. The superior asked him to sell the ivory and use the proceeds to help with conservation efforts. In 1989, the market value of this batch of 12 tons of ivory was at least $10 million, but it is clearly a drop in the bucket for elephant conservation. Given that Kenya has a land area of 580,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of France, how effective is spending $10 million to protect elephants on such a large scale?
Richard's outspoken personality came into play. You should be aware that people who are overly conservative and cautious will not make good archaeological anthropologists. Because it takes a lot of courage to excavate important archaeological evidence on such a large scale. Richard was adamant about defying his superiors' orders. Because of his high standing in the international archaeological community, he decided to defy his orders and refuse to sell them. He intended to burn the entire 12 tons of ivory!
Richard must be insane! With $10 million in payments in 1989, the Kenyan bureaucracy definitely wanted to have a piece of the meat. Richard's decision to burn 12 tons of ivory is no different than burning ten million dollars and the bureaucracy is standing in the way. But Richard was astute enough to approach President Daniel Moi and request that he accompany him to the ivory burning. Richard informed the president that auctioning ivory would have no effect on the hunt. Ivory burning can truly demonstrate that "ivory has no commercial value." This is completely unprecedented and will undoubtedly garner international attention. It could demonstrate Kenya's determination to end elephant hunting. Furthermore, burning ivory can put pressure on the international ivory trade. Of course, such an initiative would boost the president's international standing. Richard disobeyed the orders and then reported to higher-ups. He did not follow any official rules at all. He would not be able to protect the elephant if he did not have a strong belief in his heart that he could.
But Richard the brave and careful observer noticed ivory was difficult to burn. Consider the day when the ivory was burned: 12 tons of ivory were built into a platform with a shelf, and the international media flocked to the scene, eager to capture this historic moment. However, when the fire was lit, it did not burn up. Wasn't it true that all of the efforts had been in vain? Richard was introduced to the arson special effects team in the Hollywood film circle in the United States as a result of the introduction. When burning ivory, they decided to use specific jet fuel and flammable glue after professional advice.
Finally, the historic moment of ivory burning has arrived! In addition, it took three days in a row to complete. The international media continued to publicize this historic event, which fueled the determination of animal rights activists all over the world, so everyone worked tirelessly to persuade more countries to openly burn ivory. Finally, some countries have begun to prohibit domestic ivory trade and the sale of ivory products. On October 2, 2016, at the 17th Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg, South Africa's capital, 182 contracting parties finally reached an agreement to end domestic ivory trade. On January 1, 2018, mainland China announced that it would join the agreement, which made Japan, the world's largest ivory trading country but not planning to comply by 2022, face increasing pressure.
Richard's pioneering work and contribution will never be forgotten. Despite losing his legs in an air crash in 1993, he continued to promote animal conservation work. He frequently told his younger generation that he was not only a humanitarian, but also an activist. We can clearly see his behavior from his initiative to burn ivory.
Richard died two weeks after his 77th birthday on January 2, 2022. His significant deeds in 1989, as well as the significant influence he brought to future generations, have been reviewed in international media. Kenya's elephant population is no longer declining and is actually increasing. According to statistics, an elephant in Kenya can generate $23,000 in local tourism revenue per year. Richard not only saved many elephants' lives, but he also indirectly improved the lives of many Africans. Many people are unaware that Richard was disobedient at first, but today many elephants can reproduce in the wilderness with peace of mind. Many people can now sit in a jeep and see elephants, rhinos, and lions in the same field, rather than just seeing them lying listlessly by the pool in the zoo. They should express their gratitude to Richard Leakey for his noble disobedience.