DNA proves conclusively whether ivory comes from African or Asian elephants
A collaborative project between Thailand’s Department of National Parks, the Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, has trialled forensic DNA examination of ivory products commonly available in local markets to assess their origins.
One hundred and sixty items of small ivory products legally acquired by TRAFFIC researchers, primarily from retail outlets in Bangkok, were subjected to DNA analysis at the DNP’s Wildlife Forensics Crime Unit (WIFOS Laboratory).
The aim of the exercise was to determine whether the ivory products were made from African Elephant or Asian Elephant tusks.
The forensic results showed that African Elephant ivory accounted for a majority of the items tested.
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