Trafficking of animal parts continues, what to do…..

My son shared yesterday’s NPR story about the illegal trade of animal parts, horn, skins. It continues to plague conservation efforts around the world and particularly in Africa. Thanks Brian.

Last year, New Jersey and New York have passed legislation aimed a filling the gaps for trafficking ivory into their states. New Jersey, because of its port cities.  New York passed legislation because of ivory sales and shops along Park Avenue.  Each state recognized the need for expanded oversight and have passed legislation to ban the sale of ivory. California is considering legislation too because of numerous shops in San Francisco and other locations.

Denver Colorado is a sister city to Nairobi Kenya. Nairobi’s airport and Mombasa’s ports are two major exit points out of Africa for the shipment of ivory throughout the world. Ivory is sold in Colorado as well, at sporting exhibitions, shops along South Broadway.

It seems an appropriate action for citizens of Colorado to add our name, the State of Colorado, to the growing list of governments that deplore the killing of elephants and rhinos to extinction. Another feature of poaching for ivory and horn is the profit used by terrorists groups to support their purchase of weapons. Indeed, it was a factor in the arming of Al Shabaab and its massacre of 67 people at the Westgate Mall in September of 2013 in Nairobi.

We can do something.  Add our State’s name in protest to the violence and destruction of animals and humans.  It’s a start.