New genetic testing may hold the key to harsher sentences for ivory poachers, and a better chance for elephants.
Using genetic analysis, researchers are able to identify whether small intercepted shipments of ivory are all coming from the same ivory poaching cartels, and if they are this leads to longer sentences for the poachers shipping the product.
Due in part to poaching, there are less than half a million elephants left in the wild, down from 5 million at the turn of the century.
This is due, mostly, to poaching and more punishments for poachers could help our elephant population.