Poachers hunt elephants for their ivory tusks, and the market can make millions of dollars every year. African authorities are hoping to stop the black market business of ivory tusks, so they are burning what they confiscate. Finding poachers can be difficult, but researchers at King’s college in London are hoping to make it a bit easier.
"We need to remember up to 96 elephants are killed every day for their tusks, it's a big scale problem and we need to start tackling it. " says Josh Kaile, World Animal Protection.
Scientists are now teaming up with police and have discovered a finer, magnetic powder that can lift a fingerprint even months after the ivory has been touched. Usually ivory’s porous texture can make it impossible to find a finger print, "These standard powers can be gone after three days." Says Dr. Leon Barron of King’s College London.
The fingerprinting kit is simple and cheap and authorities plan to start using it on ivory that is confiscated at London airports. They hope that more countries will use their kit and start catching more poachers and saving more animals.
