New Tech Helps Combat Illegal Ivory Trade

In recent developments regarding wildlife conservation, experts are focusing on the challenge of distinguishing between mammoth ivory and illegal elephant ivory. While the international trade in modern elephant ivory is banned, mammoth ivory, which comes from extinct Ice Age elephants, presents a unique challenge for border security. The difficulty arises from the similarity in appearance between the two types of ivory. Professor Liszt from the Natural History Museum in London noted that even experts often struggle to tell the two apart without destructive testing methods like DNA analysis. Now, researchers including Dr. Rebecca Shepard from Bristol University are exploring a non-invasive solution: laser technology. This technology utilizes an ‘aren spectrometer,’ which shines a laser on ivory samples and analyzes the returning light to ascertain the material's makeup. This breakthrough has garnered attention from law enforcement agencies, including the UK Wildlife Crime Agency and Homeland Security, which see the potential to apply this technology to identify other wildlife products, like bird eggs. As the extinction of the mammoth serves as a cautionary lesson for modern species like elephants, the innovative approach seeks to protect these endangered animals from potential extinction by safeguarding their legal trade while cracking down on illegal activities.