Ivory Surrender Events Encourage Public to “Toss The Tusk” to Save Elephants

To help protect elephants, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (WTA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are teaming up for a second time to organize a series of ivory surrender events that will encourage public participation in the fight to save elephants from wildlife trafficking.

During “Toss the Tusk” events taking place at three leading zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)—San Diego Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, and Zoo Miami—the public can bring unwanted ivory to be properly disposed.

“Worldwide demand for ivory is decimating elephant populations, and we must act quickly to save them from extinction,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO, Association of Zoos & Aquariums. “By surrendering these items, the public can help ensure that they will no longer fuel demand and help us send the message that ivory belongs to elephants – living elephants.”

“Wildlife trafficking threatens the survival of elephants and other imperiled species across the world,” said Martha Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director. “By working with the AZA, WTA and other partner organizations, we reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife products. Toss the Tusk events give members of the public a chance to help combat wildlife trafficking and create a brighter future for elephants and other species at risk.”

Thousands of elephants are killed each year to fuel the global demand for ivory. African elephant populations alone have fallen from an estimated 12 million a century ago to around 415,000 individuals as of 2016. As a result of global conservation efforts, poaching rates have been slightly, yet steadily, declining over the past few years across Africa, but elephants are still being lost faster than they can reproduce.

International commercial trade in the ivory of elephants is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In the United States, elephants are protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The ivory trade is further restricted by the African Elephant Conservation Act and other laws.  In 2016, a near-total ban on the commercial trade of African elephant ivory went into effect in the United States. However, these regulations do not restrict personal possession of ivory. If you already own ivory – an heirloom carving that’s been passed down in your family or a vintage musical instrument with ivory components—you can still legally own those pieces.

The 2023 Toss The Tusk series took place at San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif.; Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Mo.; Oakland Zoo in Oakland, Calif.; and Dallas Zoo in Dallas, Texas.  Across all four events last year, 455 wildlife items were relinquished, totaling approximately 300 pounds.  Since 2019, WTA’s Toss The Tusk events have received over 1,000 relinquished wildlife products.