What is real ivory? Why elephants face the greatest poaching threat

Ivory has been a precious substance to human beings for centuries. It was used in ancient carving designs and jewellery in earlier times, and today it is part of modern debates over ethics and trade, as it comes at an enormous cost - not only monetarily, but in terms of poaching and endangered species.

What is ivory?

Ivory is dentine from animal tusks or teeth, which are elongated incisors that grow continuously. Elephants produce the most famous kind, but hippos, narwhals, walruses, and warthogs do too. CITES, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, has banned the elephant ivory trade to curb poaching, though illegal markets persist due to its rarity.

Ivory vs bone: What is the difference between the two?

Both share a dentine-like makeup of collagen, water, and hydroxyapatite minerals with calcium. Ivory feels denser, smoother, and heavier, while bone is porous and lighter, with tiny pits from blood vessels. Ivory also resists scratches better (Vickers hardness 35 vs bone) and shows Schreger lines, or chevron patterns, when polished.

Tusks in action

According to Discover Wildlife, animals use tusks for digging, fighting rivals, and foraging for bark or roots. In elephants, longer tusks signal hierarchy; matriarchs lead herds. Tusks absorb combat stress well and grow about 3 cm yearly from pulp that layers dentine outward.

Why is Elephant ivory the most vouched for

Its fine grain carves easily in any direction without splintering, unlike wood. When polished, Schreger lines, or engine-turned patterns of intersecting lines found in the dentine, create stunning designs. Denser than bone, tusks can weigh up to 35 kg, and ivory is stiffer and stronger for art, piano keys, or tools, although hippo ivory is much in demand too.

Survival without tusks

Tuskless elephants are increasing due to poaching pressure. Females, especially in Asia, have “tushes,” or smaller canines. Tusks are not essential for life but are vital for behaviour. Substitutes like tagua nuts have a similar look but lack scale.

Poaching is a crime and no one should encourage it

Ivory isn’t just some shiny thing behind glass in a shop. It once grew on a living animal. One that could feel fear. One that could feel pain. That part often gets forgotten when people talk about ivory like it’s just another luxury item.

When an elephant is killed for its tusks, it’s not only one life that’s taken. A whole family feels it. Calves lose their protectors. The herd gets thrown into chaos. And the species moves one small step closer to disappearing.

All for something that ends up as décor on a table or a trinket on a shelf. And here’s the hard truth. Elephants aren’t here for us. They are not meant to be turned into showpieces or symbols of wealth. They are meant to walk long distances, splash in muddy water, look after their young, and live out their days in the wild. That’s their world. Not ours to take from.

So if we really care about elephants, the choice isn’t complicated. Don’t buy ivory. Don’t treat it like something rare or special. Leave it where it belongs. With the elephant.