The international ivory trade has been banned for the past two decades. In 2008, the UN, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, approved a one-time auction of ivory from four African countries - Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe - with large, stable populations of elephants. The ivory for sale, of over 100 tons, was officially drawn from existing stockpiles. Kenya emerged as the main critic, claiming that legalizing ivory trade will endanger elephants everywhere as poachers would attempt to launder their illegal ivory with legal stockpiles. The KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) is Kenia’s anti-poaching task force.
