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Thursday, June 2, 2016

USA Announces Near-Total Ban On African Elephant Ivory Trade Thursday June 02,2016

US authorities on Thursday June 02,2016 announced a near-total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory, finalizing a years-long push to fight the poaching of the threatened animals.

Conservation groups welcomed the move by the United States, the world's second-largest consumer of illegal ivory after China, even though it comes with notable exemptions including for antiques.

The new rule, which takes effect July 6,2016 "substantially limits" imports, exports and sales of ivory across state lines, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said.

More than 35,000 elephants are slaughtered each year on the African continent from an approximate population of more than 450,000 in the wild.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) hailed the US move to protect the species as historic.

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