Nearly 2 tons of seized ivory to be crushed in Central Park
ALBANY, N.Y. — Nearly two tons of trinkets, statues and jewelry crafted from the tusks of at least 100 slaughtered elephants are heading for a rock crusher in New York City’s Central Park to demonstrate the state’s commitment to smashing the illegal ivory trade.
The artifacts being destroyed include piles of golf ball-sized Japanese sculptures, called netsuke, intricately carved into monkeys, rabbits and other fanciful designs.
Many of the items are beautiful. Some are extremely valuable. One netsuke, depicting three men with a fish, is worth an estimated $14,000. A pair of elaborately carved ivory towers set to be ground into dust is worth $850,000.
But state environmental officials, who are partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Tiffany & Co. for Thursday’s “Ivory Crush,” say no price justifies slaughtering elephants for their tusks.