Ivory, or outer enamel, is poached excessively in Central Africa. Ivory almost distinctively references elephant tusks, the word itself is derived from Ancient Egyptian âb, âbu "elephant.” Japan, and recently now China, are the only two countries that have been allowed to legally purchase ivory from government stockpiles from certain African countries. There won’t be another legal sale of ivory for nine years.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), recently voted to allow sales into China. CITES includes: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. They have stockpiles of elephant ivory in the amount of tons. “South Africa declared the largest amount, making 51 tonnes available, while Botswana's stockpile was almost 44 tonnes. The other two countries declared much smaller amounts; Namibia total was just under 10 tonnes, and Zimbabwe stockpile was almost four tonnes.” (BBC)
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7508071.stm