Elephant stewards can rejoice and wildlife traffickers cry as officials have requested the destruction of five tons of confiscated ivory.
In an attempt to prevent the valuable, illegal goods from being sold, five of the 12 tons of ivory, worth an estimated THB200 million, could be sent to the furnace on the order of Niphon Chotibal, head of The Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation, should his request receive approval.
Under Niphon’s proposal, the ivory will be fed to an ultra-hot furnace which will leave no trace to prevent pesky black marketers from getting their hands on it to sell.
The other seven tons will go to the Customs Department, Thai PBS reported.
The wildlife department seeks to appoint a committee to monitor the burning but first needs a resolution from the cabinet to revoke a ban on burning ivory.
The ivory that would be burnt however is that which contains defects, Niphon said, but is still valuable.
Once the prime minister gives the approval, a ceremony will be held for all those elephant souls felled by poachers.
