That's ZIM dollars, not USD.

George

What is the current rate per pound of ivory?

National Parks Sells $180 Million Ivory



The Herald (Harare)

August 14, 2004
Posted to the web August 16, 2004

Harare

ZIMBABAWEAN ivory dealers last week paid $180 million for 554 kg of ivory they bought from the the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

"We still have stockpiles of ivory and we need to continue selling to avoid expenses of storage," said Dr Morris Mutsambiwa the authority's director-general.


Ivory sold to the local industry was meant for commercial purposes only. Only 12 tonnes would be sold while the remaining eight tonnes was collected from elephants that had died of natural causes, confiscated from illegal dealers and from the problem animal control programme.


The authority will wait for approval from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which is scheduled to meet in Bangkok, Thailand, in October before selling this block.

The eight tonnes of elephant tusks were left after the country was allowed to export only 20 tonnes during the last 10 years owing to international restrictions on ivory trade and has been failing to dispose of the stockpile.