Image: Elephant ivory in Guangzhou in 2014 prior to being destroyed (Source: IFAW)
During my first semester at university (2021), and after a Summer spent on a wildlife reserve in South Africa, I wrote an assignment detailing the complex system and supply chains behind the illegal ivory trade, and the formation of "ivory hubs": countries and cities that function as key transit points along the trafficking route, where weak enforcement, borders, or corrupt customs oversight let illegal ivory move undetected toward its final markets.
Download the full analysis here.
