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I've had intimate encounters with African elephants and have known all too well the story behind some of the pictures I've taken.
Every year, an estimated 35,000 elephants are poached for the ivory trade. Between 1964 and 2016, savannah elephant populations declined by around 70%. Today, elephants are being lost at an estimated rate of 8% per year. With fewer than 415,000 remaining, they could vanish from our planet within a single generation if the killing does not stop.
There has been important global progress: the U.S. and China, the two largest ivory markets in the world, banned their trades in 2016 and 2017; Hong Kong followed in 2021, and the U.K. enacted its ban in 2018, which came into effect in 2022. These measures show political will and represent some of the strongest steps taken to protect the elephant from extinction.
In contrast, Australia still allows a domestic ivory market to operate, contributing to demand. Newly poached ivory can also be passed off as antiques, providing cover for illegal trafficking and fuelling the poaching crisis.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement has already recommended a full ban on the domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn. While the Australian Government committed to action in 2019, no comprehensive ban has yet been implemented — leaving loopholes wide open.
Australia must now close this gap. Ending the domestic ivory and horn trade is urgent if we are to play our part in protecting elephants and rhinos from extinction. Acting decisively would not only contribute to safeguarding these species but also send a clear message to the world: we will not stand by and let elephants and rhinos become extinct on our watch.
