Kenya's Ivory Burn

Kenya staged the largest ivory burn in history to end illegal wildlife trade.

09:16 03 May 2016

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta staged the largest ivory burn in history, setting alight over a hundred tonnes of poached tusks to show the country’s commitment to end illegal wildlife trade. The ceremony, which saw the burning of 105 tonne haul, was held at Nairobi National Park with presidents Ali Bongo of Gabon and Yoweri Musevenie of Uganda in attendance. The ceremony was also witnessed by United Nations officials, conservationists, business figures and politicians from around the world.

 

Mr Kenyatta said: “A time has come when we must take a stand and the stand is clear ... Kenya is making a statement that, for us, ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants.”

 

Before the burn, Kitili Mbathi, head of the Kenyan Wildlife Service, said: “The reason we're doing this is to send a message that there is [no] intrinsic value in ivory, there is only value in elephants. Anybody who owns ivory, you should be ashamed of yourself. Do not buy ivory.”

 

According to Kenya’s Wildlife Service, the stacks of tusks and rhino horn represent more than 8,000 elephants and some 343 rhinos.