As a gesture of marking the World Wildlife Day which falls on March 3, a ceremony to destroy seized elephant ivory, its parts and parts of wild animals worth an estimated 1.15 million US dollars was held in the compound of Yangon Zoological Garden on the morning of March 3.
Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Ohn Win said: “This event aims to educate the people about the illegal hunting of wild elephants, tiger, bear and endangered animals and the sale and illegal trafficking of their parts and meats.”
At the second ceremony, 210 elephant tusks, 210 elephant trunks , 527 animal bones including tigers and leopards, 800 animal horns, 134.72 kg of pangolins and 241 body parts of wild animals weighting 766.11 kg were destroyed, according to the Forest Department.
The move aims to let the people know more about effective legal actions against those involved in illegal trade of wildlife, flora and fauna and their parts, to announce the facts about the shutdown of local market and actions taken and let the international community know increased efforts for prevention and control against illegal trafficking in order to promote cooperation.
The World Wildlife Day is aimed at letting the international community pay more attention to the works for the conservation of wildlife and the eradication of illegal wildlife trade.
The first event was held on October 4, 2018, in Nay Pyi Taw. In Myanmar, 122 wild elephants were killed from 2010 to January, 2019,
