Nearly $650K Worth Of Undocumented Ivory For Sale In D.C., Investigation Reveals
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJZ) -- Nearly $650,000 worth of undocumented ivory was for sale in DC from April to June, according to an investigation by the Humane Society of the U.S. and Humane Society International.
Dozens of ivory items in the form of whole elephant tusks, to figurines and jewelry, was on sale in the nation's capital.
DC doesn't have any local laws prohibiting the sale of wildlife products like ivory and rhino horn.
The products were found for sale in L'Enfant Gallery, Frank Milwee Antiques, Mercedes Bien Vintage, Capital Antiques D.C., and vendors at the Georgetown flea market.
In most cases, the sellers couldn't provide documentation to verify the age or origin of the products.
"Washington, D.C. has recently gained notoriety as one of our country's most active markets for the sale of elephant ivory. In 2017, the wildlife organization TRAFFIC found 658 ivory items for sale at 68 locations in the greater Washington, D.C. area," the HSUS report said.
Most ivory sales occur on Craigslist.
On Tuesday, DC councilwoman Mary Cheh has introduced a bill to ban trade in ivory and other wildlife products in the city.
Learn more about the investigation here: HSUS | Ivory Investigation