A booming illegal ivory trade kills thousands of elephants each year. The issue recieved international attention in 2015 when four tonnes of ivory were confiscated by customs in Thailand. While the seizure was the largest in the country’s history, the perpetrators of the crime where never caught.
To better equip law enforcement entities, a group of scientists in the United States are developing innovative tools to identify trends in the international ivory trade.
In this episode, Techknow’s Marita Davison talks to a group of scientists who are using DNA extraction, genetic mapping, and carbon dating to locate where the ivory is coming from.
– Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
– Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
– Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
– Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/