The term “stealing ivory” most commonly refers to the illegal poaching of elephants or walrus for their tusks, but it can also refer to modern thefts from government stockpiles, museums, or even quests in popular video games. [1]

Types of Ivory Theft

• Elephant Poaching: The most widespread form involves the illegal killing of elephants to remove their tusks for the black market. Poaching is often driven by international demand for carvings and ornaments, especially in Asia.
• Stockpile Theft: Criminals increasingly target “well-guarded” government stockpiles of seized ivory. For example, large thefts have been reported from courts in Gabon and government facilities in Burundiand Uganda.
• Museum Heists: Poachers have targeted historical displays in museums, sawing off tusks from ancient elephant skeletons, such as a famous 17th-century elephant skeleton in Paris.
• Gaming (Path of Exile 2): “A Theft of Ivory” is a specific quest in the second act of Path of Exile 2. Players are tasked with hunting a Mastodon and a Lich King to retrieve tusks.
• Literature: The Stealing of Ivory is a suspense novel by Rahul V. Mohite about the theft of a pair of diamond-ornamented ivory tusks. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Legal Status and Deterrents

• Near-Total Bans: International commercial trade in ivory is largely prohibited under CITES and domestic laws like the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
• Stockpile Destruction: Many governments publicly crush or burn seized ivory to ensure it cannot be stolen or resold, sending a message that ivory has no commercial value.
• DNA Tracking: Scientists now use DNA and isotope analysis on seized ivory to track it back to specific poaching hotspots or stolen government stockpiles, helping law enforcement dismantle criminal cartels.
• Dyeing: Some conservationists have proposed using pink dyes to devalue tusks and horns, making them visible to airport scanners and unusable for traditional carvings. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]