Elephant Tusk

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opensocietyfoundations Seized adult elephant tusks
in the French customs warehouse in Charles de
Gaulle airport, Paris, France.
Photographer Stefano De Luigi/VIl @stefano_de_luigi
created this project, "Bushmeat, A Silent Ecological
Disaster," with the help of the French association
"Sauvegarde Faunas Sauvage," who fight poaching
and the illegal trade of protected fauna and ivory
Every year, around 300 tons of African game arrive
illegally in France. As it travels from the African
continent to Europe, the price increases 500%
Economic forces-the growth of the African diaspora,
the rapid industrialization of China-have created a
market whose size is unprecedented. For many of the
world's most beloved and vulnerable species, the
results have been catastrophic. But as the economic
ties between the ivory trade and the terrorist
organization Boko Haram have shown, the
consequences have been dire for human beings, too
Images from this illegal trade can be upsetting, but
averting our eyes and letting it continue would be
even worse.