(photo credit: Derek Keats)
From The New York Times:
NAIROBI, Kenya — President Obama will forgo the usual tourist safari during his visit here, but his administration on Saturday announced new legal changes intended to help protect endangered wildlife in African nations.
The changes would restrict the sale of African elephant ivory across state lines in the United States while adding new limits to commercial exports. Adding to existing federal laws, the rule changes would amount to a near total ban on the commercial trade of African elephant ivory in the United States.
...
The proposed changes would still allow Americans to sell ivory across state lines, but only if it meets the strict criteria of the antiques exemption listed in the Endangered Species Act. The act identifies an antique as an item that is 100 years or older, that is partly or entirely composed of a species listed under the act, and that has not been repaired or modified with any such species after Dec. 27, 1973. It also must have been imported through one of 13 specific antique ports within the United States.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/...=
According to the article, the U.S. is now the second largest consumer of illegal ivory, after China. Blech - only a fool could covet such a gruesome trophy.
A spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society called today's announcement a 'huge win'.
Thanks, Obama!