That Which Remains

Last month, CITES confirmed its commitment to legitimizing markets for elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, and many other products obtained from endangered species.   Among other things, that means that stockpiles of confiscated ivory, or ivory taken from animals that were culled or died naturally, will be either warehoused or destroyed.  But what about the ivory from elephants in zoos, or the horns of rhinos in zoos?  What happens to those very valuable wildlife parts?

Sometimes, these products can be kept at the zoo to serve as biofacts – educational teaching tools.  These tools can provide a hands-on experience for visitors to gain a new appreciation of an animal, from witnessing the powerful jaws of a big cat up close (and safely) to running their hands across a length of elephant tusk and learning about how the demand for that substance has been responsible for the devastation of elephant numbers in Africa and Asia.   Depending on the animal, it may require a special permit from the government to legalize its possession, and its disposition or destruction must be reported to the government as well.  This is to prevent these materials from winding up on the black market. 

Recently, I was preparing a set of rhino horns, taken from a deceased animal, for shipment.  Another staff member walking by paused to watch me for a moment.   Before she walked off, she commented that we could probably have built a new exhibit or two with what those horns were worth. 

She was joking.  Not everyone in that position would be… nor would they be thinking of the zoo as the recipient of that wealth.

Another option is to turn those materials over to the government.  The Fish and Wildlife Service may use it for training purposes, such as teaching dogs to sniff out wildlife products being smuggled into the country.  They may use it for research.  Or, they may destroy it to make sure that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

In some cases, the government may have a new recipient in mind for a wildlife product.  Dead bald and golden eagles, for example, are sent to a federal depository.  From there, feathers, talons, and other body parts can be dispensed to indigenous peoples for use in their rituals and regalia.  It is illegal for private citizens to keep feathers from these birds; a zookeeper who takes home the feather of a favorite eagle that she cares for is breaking the law and violating the terms of the permit that the facility is caring for the birds under.  Zoos that wish to have bald or golden eagle feathers or parts for educational purposes must have their permits amended to reflect that.  Even then, the terms of the permit will be quite specific.

A final option?  Just destroy everything.  After the necropsy is done and the vets have had their say, often a zoo animal is incinerated (sometimes buried, but then, if it is buried, you run the risk – albeit unlikely - of someone coming to dig up those horns or tusks).  In one sense, it may seem bitterly ironic to for the perpetually cash-strapped conservation field to watch those very valuable rhino horns go up in flames.  In another sense, the horns never really were worth anything, at least certainly not compared to a real, live rhinoceros. 

The challenge continues to be in getting the rest of the world to accept that point of view.