Numerous wildlife specialists have reported that roughly 30,000 African elephants are illegally killed each year. Now, China’s ivory trade ban will play a critical part in putting a halt to this concerning statistic.

Today, China holds the leading position with 70 percent of the global demand for ivory, leaving fewer than 500,000 elephants in the wild. 

In June 2016, former US President Barack Obama fulfilled a promise made during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart and imposed a near total ban on domestic ivory sales. China followed suit, and officials shut down 67 carving workshops and retail stores in March 2017, following another 105 set to close by the end of the year. It was an astonishing U-turn – a far bigger step than campaigners had dared to hope for.

As China’s move to ban the ivory trade has swept the front pages of newspapers all over the world, test your knowledge to see what you know about this sensitive and important topic.