Ivory Linked to Terrorism?

GPS IN FAKE TUSKS TRACKS IVORY POACHING TO TERRORISTS

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On August 25, 2015, CNN News, reported that Bryan Christy, National Geographic fellow, had linked the Ivory trade to terrorism.

With the help of his crew, Christy inserted a GPS tracking device into a very life-like tusk of ivory. Traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the team was able to deal with ivory traders. Once sold, the tracking device showed that the synthetic ivory made its way to the terrorist group, Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which is known for murder, mutilation, child-sex slavery, abduction, and other violations of human rights, and led by the infamous Joseph Kony. The  LRA’s ivory operation includes buying weapons from government of Sudan, forcing young children to conduct the trades, and of course, the killing of thousands of elephants.

Many people are led to believe that the ivory trade is stimulated by the demand in China. Christy shows that the problem is much more rooted than that. This knowledge conveys the importance of stopping the ivory trade. Not only would it save thousand of elephants, but help fight the war against terrorism.

Read the Full Article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/08/25/national-geographic-gps-fake-tusks-track-ivory-poaching-terrorists/32324541/