U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service destroys six tons of ivory

More than six tons of confiscated ivory was destroyed by U.S. officials at a facility just outside of Denver Thursday. The ivory mostly consisted of tusks, carvings and jewelry that had been confiscated over the past 25 years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversaw the destruction of the ivory, which they said represented the killing of 2,000 adult elephants. Although a global ban on ivory went into effect in 1989, tens of thousands of elephants are slaughtered as part of the illegal ivory trade each year with revenues totaling $10 billion. "Destroying this ivory tells criminals who engage in poaching and trafficking that the United States will take all available measures to disrupt and prosecute those who prey on and profit from the deaths of these magnificent animals," a statement on the FWS website states.

Not everyone, however, thinks the FWS message will be successful. An article on Take Part points out this isn't the first time a message has been sent by destroying ivory -- and that if the U.S. really wants to slow elephant poaching, officials need to make efforts to educate buyers.