Like the event that took place two years ago in Times Square and in many other cities, on Thursday, August 3rd, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, along with the Wildlife Conservation Society, conducted an event that involved raiding shops all over New York City which were known or suspected of selling any items made from elephant or mammoth tusks, and rhinoceros horns, and then bringing all the items together in Central Park and crushing them while onlookers cheered.
This is so amazing;
It is amazing because it is sending the message that the slaughter of magnificent animals like elephants and rhinos will not be accepted, for it is a cruel and unnecessary practice that takes tens if not hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.
It is estimated that about $8 million worth of ivory goods, made from at least 100 elephants was crushed during this event. There were individual items that cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. The fact that such costly items were being destroyed in this manner upset some who argued for their monetary value. However, money is nothing when compared to the value of life. Some may even say that destroying them just makes it seem like the animal died for nothing. This is not the case. Crushing them was the best thing that could have been done to them. No one needs an ivory anything for any reason, and no, rhino horn DOES NOT make men erect! And by destroying such costly items, these activists have dramatically devalued ivory, showing that it is not worth anything, nor is it coveted. If ivory is treated like it is worthless, there is no reason for anyone to desire it, there is no market for it, and therefore, there is no reason for anyone to go out killing animals in order to procure it.
These items sitting in stores was a symbol of greed and cruelty. Now, in their crushed state, they are a symbol of the peoples stand against that greed and that cruelty. No elephants ivory, or rhinos horn should never have been taken from them, they should never have had to die, and now, thanks to this event, their deaths have not been in vain, the destruction of the items made from their tusks and their horns now serves as a message to poachers that their practice is unwanted, and we will not stand for their cruelty.
I am so incredibly happy about this event. I only hope that actions such as these truly do finally bring an end to the ivory and rhino horn trade. And with any luck, maybe a similar event will take place in regards to big game hunting. It would be a great pleasure to see Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and other hunters stripped of their "trophies," as they so callously call them.
There is still a lot of work to be done in the fight against animal cruelty, but this is a great victory! Lets keep it up!
