ivory had been traded out of East Africa for centuries, the increasing scale of extraction in the nineteenth century would, in all probability, have had significant consequences for humans, elephants and the landscape. In order to understand these consequences, however, it is imperative to know where this ivory was being extracted and traded along East African caravan routes to then be able to consider the local ecosystems that were most affected by the trade

The international trade in wildlife parts and products is of significant conservation concern. The global demand for ivory, for example, is considered to be a significant threat to African elephant populations

Ivory products, such as jewelry or sacred items, are manufactured in two main areas: Surin in the Northeast, and Nakhon Sawan and Uthai Thani in the North. Manufacturers in Surin source tusks from Surin-based elephants that are either living locally or working in other areas. Raw tusks sourced from the South and the North have lower prices. Tusks from Southern owners are largely sold to Surin manufacturers; some are supplied to manufacturers in Nakhon Sawan.

The chain consists of activities of five key groups of supply chain actors: elephant owners, intermediaries, manufacturers, retailers, and ivory customers.

The international trade in wildlife parts and products is of significant conservation concern. The global demand for ivory, for example, is considered to be a significant threat to African elephant populations

To safeguard the future of the ivory trade Mr. Maskeli suggests that ivory should be made a Govern¬ ment monopoly in all our Colonial possessions, and that, at least, steps should be taken to enforce the regulations of the international agreement already referred to

But it was in the nineteenth century that the great development of the East African ivory trade took place. An increased demand for ivory in America and Europe coincided with the opening up of East Africa by Arab traders and European explorers, and this led to the intensive exploitation of the ivory resources of the interior. Thro

The extent to which these ivory traders opened up the upper Nile is surprising. Giovanni Miani, a Venetian, penetrated beyond the River Asua in modern Uganda, explored the Bahr el-Ghazal and the headwaters of the streams rising in the Nyam Nyam country, and brought back rumours of a great river, the Uele, flowing to th

The illegal wildlife trade is currently one of the largest "black-market" industries in today’s world, falling fourth behind drug, gun, and human trafficking trades.

A ban on the legal sale of ivory in 1989 was put into effect by worldwide conservation organizations, such as The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the African Wildlife Fund (AWF), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to try to save the elephant populations which had dropped extensively in numbers.