<p>Singapore began destroying nine tonnes of seized ivory Tuesday, the largest such action globally in recent years, including contraband tusks that came from more than 300 African elephants.</p>.<p>The destruction by an industrial rock crusher was held on the eve of World Elephant Day, and aims to prevent the items from re-entering the market and disrupt the global supply chain of illegally traded ivory, Singapore's National Parks Board said.</p>.<p>A spokeswoman for the board told AFP it would take three to five days for all of the ivory -- seized between 2014 and 2019 -- to be crushed, after which the fragments will be incinerated.</p>.<p>"This ivory crushing event, the largest globally in recent years, demonstrates Singapore's strong determination and commitment to combat the illegal trade in wildlife," the board said in a statement.</p>.<p>The items include 8.8 tonnes of ivory seized last year in Singapore's biggest haul worth Sg$17.6 million (US$13 million), it said.</p>.<p>Singapore also Tuesday launched a Centre for Wildlife Forensics to "identify and analyse specimens involved in the illegal wildlife trade".</p>.<p>By using DNA analysis and other methods to study the specimens, the centre can determine where the items were poached from -- a useful tool in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.</p>.<p>Elephant ivory is coveted because it can be fashioned into items like combs, pendants and other exotic jewellery.</p>.<p>The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after the population of the African animals dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to about 600,000 by the end of the 1980s</p>
<p>Singapore began destroying nine tonnes of seized ivory Tuesday, the largest such action globally in recent years, including contraband tusks that came from more than 300 African elephants.</p>.<p>The destruction by an industrial rock crusher was held on the eve of World Elephant Day, and aims to prevent the items from re-entering the market and disrupt the global supply chain of illegally traded ivory, Singapore's National Parks Board said.</p>.<p>A spokeswoman for the board told AFP it would take three to five days for all of the ivory -- seized between 2014 and 2019 -- to be crushed, after which the fragments will be incinerated.</p>.<p>"This ivory crushing event, the largest globally in recent years, demonstrates Singapore's strong determination and commitment to combat the illegal trade in wildlife," the board said in a statement.</p>.<p>The items include 8.8 tonnes of ivory seized last year in Singapore's biggest haul worth Sg$17.6 million (US$13 million), it said.</p>.<p>Singapore also Tuesday launched a Centre for Wildlife Forensics to "identify and analyse specimens involved in the illegal wildlife trade".</p>.<p>By using DNA analysis and other methods to study the specimens, the centre can determine where the items were poached from -- a useful tool in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.</p>.<p>Elephant ivory is coveted because it can be fashioned into items like combs, pendants and other exotic jewellery.</p>.<p>The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after the population of the African animals dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to about 600,000 by the end of the 1980s</p>