Kenyan wildlife officials are preparing to destroy 120 tonnes of ivory in a burning ceremony.
Those in possession of elephant or rhino ivory have 21 days to bring forward their illegal trophies or face prosecution.
The burn-off, organised by the Kenya Wildlife Service and charity group Stop Ivory, will be eight times larger than any previous single ivory destruction. Kenya burned 15 tonnes of ivory in 2015, making a three-metre high pyre than burned for days.
In addition to the elephant ivory, 1.5 tonnes of rhino horn will also be destroyed -- Kenya's entire stockpile.
The April 29-30 event will be attended by heads of state from across Africa, and stars including Elton John, Yao Ming, Leonard DiCaprio and David Attenborough are also expected to show.
It's estimated around 30,000 elephants a year are lost to poaching, with demand rising in southeast Asia.
The 120 tonnes of elephant ivory would have come from at least 4000 animals. If sold on the black market, Kenya could fetch up to NZ$400 million -- but encourage even more poaching.
Newshub.
