Stop the Illegal Elephant Trade

"Asian elephants are suffering greatly at the hands of poachers. The illegal elephant trade is flourishing in Thailand and Burma, where wild elephants are captured and sold for their ivory or for tourism.

Baby elephants are the most valuable commodities in elephant tourism, but they aren't required to be registered until they reach eight years old. Wild elephants enjoy significant legal protections, but outdated laws and poor documentation make it difficult to distinguish between the "wild" and "domesticated" elephants, which can still be legally traded. Because of this loophole, baby elephants captured in the wild are passed off as domesticated with no documented proof. Requiring that babies be registered at birth is one compelling way to curb the trade and prove where the babies belong."