Investigation found exotic animal parts like ivory are being sold in Pa., bill may stop it

Legislation is moving through the Pennsylvania House to stop the sale of animal parts of at-risk animal species, partially because of an investigation that discovered ivory and other parts of endangered species were available for sale in 18 counties.

A press conference with legislators and Humane World for Animals on June 4 in Harrisburg spoke about the need to pass House Bill 994.

That bill, if passed, would limit in-state sales of a broader list of imperiled species, including species like giraffes and hippos not currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Humane World for Animals held an undercover investigation between January and April at various stores and online auctions in the commonwealth. The report from more than 60 locations in Pennsylvania found 383 ivory items from elephants, hippos, walrus and whales for sale.

“What we found was a gruesome amount of evidence that accelerates the call to action,” said Whitney Teamus, senior director of investigations at Humane World for Animals.

The organization reports “the total value of items found was nearly $38,000, with items ranging in price from $5 to $1,150. Ivory items for sale included earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings and other pieces of jewelry; figurines; tusk and tooth carvings; cutlery sets; game pieces; cigarette holders; letter openers; and an array of other household and personal items. The investigators also found the taxidermized head, neck and shoulders of a giraffe for sale for $6,000.”

Gabe Wigtil, program director, wildlife trafficking, Humane World for Animals, said legislation to address the market demand for animal parts should remove the incentive to those who poach protected animals.

“Iconic species across the planet continue to face the threat of extinction due to demand for their body parts,” he said. “Each year, 10,000 to 15,000 elephants are killed in Africa to supply the global demand for their ivory.”

He explained the need for state legislation to address where federal laws fall short.

“Pennsylvania law generally prohibits the instate sale of parts of species such as elephants who are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, such sales can be allowed with a permit. House Bill 994 would cover other highly traded wildlife species including giraffes, hippos and pangolins (scaly anteaters), species that are not currently protected under federal or Pennsylvania law,” he said.

State Rep. Leanne Krueger, a Democrat from Delaware County, introduced the house bill.

“When we hear that as many as 15,000 elephants are killed on the continent of Africa every year to supply the demand for their ivory or that all five rhino species are threatened for extinction because they are poached for their horns, we want to be part of the solution, not the problem,” she said.

HB 994 would protect from sale the parts of animals from other countries in Pennsylvania including Baleen whale, bonobo, cheetah, chimpanzee, dolphin, porpoise or tooth whale, elephant, giraffe, gorilla, hippopotamus, jaguar, leopard, lion, mammoth, mastodon, orangutan, panda, pangolin, polar bear, ray, rhinoceros, sea turtles, tiger, walrus and a variety of shark species.

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 25 to 1 on June 2 and is now on the House floor for consideration.

Humane World for Animals has conducted similar investigations in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, D.C.

Reporting by Brian Whipkey, Pennsylvania Outdoors Columnist / Erie Times-News