The illegal ivory trade is big business. A single shipment can be worth up to $1.3m. The vast majority of ivory poached in Africa ends up in China.<br /><br />Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: http://econ.st/2GrYOQX <br /><br />Elephant poaching is most prolific in two areas of Africa, the<br />savannas of Mozambique and Tanzania, in East Africa, and in West Africa, a forest region called TRIDOM, which spans Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Cameroon.<br /><br />Weak governance in these countries enables poachers to operate<br />with relative impunity. Poachers are paid $80 to $100 per kilo of ivory.<br /><br />Research by the Environmental Investigation Agency reveals that most ivory from Mozambique is shipped from the city of Pemba.<br />Traffickers typically bribe custom officers $70 per shipment to turn a blind eye. <br /><br />Tusks are hidden amongst legitimate cargo in shipping containers. 70 percent of the world's ivory is destined for China,<br />but investigators have discovered traffickers use indirect routes to avoid detection. A typical route could be via South Korea,<br />where the shipment is less likely to be searched by customs.<br /><br />Once in South Korea, corrupt freight agents take a cut of around $450,000 to help move the shipment on to its next stop, Hong Kong. Here, customs officials clear what appears to be<br />to be a routine shipment that originated from South Korea.<br />The shipment will be moved one more time, by sea, to Shanghai.<br /><br />On arrival, the gang will transport the tusks overland to its final destination, the Chinese city of Shuidong. Most of the world's<br />illegal ivory comes here. By now, the ivory is valued at $750 per kilo. The gang can expect to make upwards of $1.3 million for their shipment. <br /><br />The illegal ivory trade is worth millions of dollars a year. If it's not stopped, African elephants could become extinct within decades.<br /><br />Daily Watch: mind-stretching short films throughout the working week.<br /><br />For more from Economist Films visit: http://econ.st/2Gp9YFT <br />Check out The Economist’s full video catalogue: http://econ.st/20IehQk <br />Like The Economist on Facebook: http://econ.st/2GrEQWu <br />Follow The Economist on Twitter: http://econ.st/2Gt7uGP <br />Follow us on Instagram: http://econ.st/2GrFhA6 <br />Follow us on Medium: http://econ.st/2GrFi78
