Poaching is for Eggs: New Protections for These At-Risk Species

The United Kingdom has expanded its Ivory Act to protect more endangered species from poaching.

“The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable,” says Trudy Harrison, the United Kingdom’s biodiversity minister at the Department for Environmental, Food, and Rural Affairs.

Ivory from various animals’ tusks and teeth can be used for ornaments, musical instruments, and jewelry, among others. Poaching occurs across the globe to access the ivory that is then traded in a lucrative market. Though the United Kindom’s Ivory Act was originally passed in 2018, it largely only protected elephants. The expansion of the act will now protect hippopotamuses, orcas, and walruses as well.