What are the U.S. and international laws protecting elephants?
Since 1975, Asian elephants have been listed on Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits all international commercial trade in Asian elephants and Asian elephant ivory. African elephants were listed on Appendix I of CITES in 1990. In 1997, the populations of African elephants of Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia were down – listed to Appendix II. As a result, these three countries were each permitted to sell a single shipment of stockpiled ivory, totaling nearly 50,000 kg, to Japan in 1999. In 2000, South Africa’s population was also down – listed. Each of these countries is permitted to trade in elephant hides, and Zimbabwe is allowed to export locally manufactured ivory carving for non – commercial purposes. All other populations of African elephants are still listed on Appendix I of CITES.
