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Hippo teeth and mammoth ivory on sale in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong, which has been an international hub for legal and illegal wildlife trade, banned commercial trade in elephant ivory in January 2022. Before the ban, hippo teeth were a common find among the illicit elephant tusks, pangolin scales, and rhino horns intercepted by customs officials at Hong Kong’s ports. Not only are the incisors and canines of hippos easier to smuggle, they are significantly cheaper and readily used in the carving industry. Over the years, millions of consumers have traveled from mainland China to take advantage of the lower prices on luxury wildlife items, and this influx grew with its domestic ivory ban taking effect in January 2018.

Even before China instituted the closure of domestic ivory markets and its ivory carving industry, African hippo ivory was in high demand. Up to 90 percent of the 771,000 kg of hippo ivory traded internationally since 1975 was imported by Hong Kong. Almost three-quarters of this ivory originated from just two East African countries — Tanzania and Uganda — but trade with Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is also on the rise.

Investigations into international trading patterns of endangered wildlife species in 2018 revealed vast discrepancies in the amount of hippo ivory leaving source countries and the volume declared on entry in Hong Kong. Scientists at the University of Hong Kong compared Uganda’s export permits and import receipts from 1995 to April 2016, estimating the volume of unaccounted hippo teeth to be just over 14,200 kg. This volume of ivory is the equivalent of 2 percent of the continental hippo population currently estimated at 115,000 - 130,000 individuals. Photo: Paul Hilton / Earth Tree Images

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Earth Tree Images
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Ivory
Hippo teeth and mammoth ivory on sale in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong, which has been an international hub for legal and illegal wildlife trade, banned commercial trade in elephant ivory in January 2022. Before the ban, hippo teeth were a common find among the illicit elephant tusks, pangolin scales, and rhino horns intercepted by customs officials at Hong Kong’s ports. Not only are the incisors and canines of hippos easier to smuggle, they are significantly cheaper and readily used in the carving industry. Over the years, millions of consumers have traveled from mainland China to take advantage of the lower prices on luxury wildlife items, and this influx grew with its domestic ivory ban taking effect in January 2018.<br /> <br /> Even before China instituted the closure of domestic ivory markets and its ivory carving industry, African hippo ivory was in high demand. Up to 90 percent of the 771,000 kg of hippo ivory traded internationally since 1975 was imported by Hong Kong. Almost three-quarters of this ivory originated from just two East African countries — Tanzania and Uganda — but trade with Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is also on the rise.<br /> <br /> Investigations into international trading patterns of endangered wildlife species in 2018 revealed vast discrepancies in the amount of hippo ivory leaving source countries and the volume declared on entry in Hong Kong. Scientists at the University of Hong Kong compared Uganda’s export permits and import receipts from 1995 to April 2016, estimating the volume of unaccounted hippo teeth to be just over 14,200 kg. This volume of ivory is the equivalent of 2 percent of the continental hippo population currently estimated at 115,000 - 130,000 individuals. Photo: Paul Hilton / Earth Tree Images