Selling elephant ivory—a hard white material from elephant tusks, for which elephants are often killed—is illegal. Selling ivory collected from the remains of extinct Mammoths, however, is—somehow—not. Because the two are hard to tell apart, illegal traders are slipping under the radar by mixing elephant ivory with legally traded mammoth ivory. A new forensic tool, however, might soon put an end to this nefarious trick.

Wildlife forensic scientists in China suggest that authorities can differentiate elephant ivory from mammoth ivory by analyzing stable isotopes (forms of an element that don’t break down over time). If this approach becomes widely adopted, it could serve as a quick sample screening before the application of more expensive and time-consuming methods.

“Mammoth ivory costs a fraction of the price of elephant ivory, but the two are considered completely different materials by carvers and experts, because mammoth ivory usually lacks the deep, creamy white color of elephant ivory,” Pavel Toropov, a University of Hong Kong researcher and a co-author of the study published today in the journal Frontiers, said in a Frontiers statement. “One trader compared them to a ‘Lamborghini and a Ford.’ Mammoth ivory cannot be a real substitute for elephant ivory, but its value may lie in providing a legal cover for elephant ivory.”

Currently, the most accurate way to tell the two ivories apart is via molecular analysis (studying molecules) or radiocarbon dating (a technique to date organic material), both of which are expensive and time consuming.

Isotope ratios vary depending on factors like environment. Since Ice Age mammoths preserved in high-latitude Siberian permafrost lived in a completely different habitat from today’s tropical elephants, the isotope ratios in their tusks should be different. Within this context, Toropov and his team decided to investigate whether analyzing these differences could provide a better method to distinguish between the two types of ivory.

The team conducted stable isotope analyses on 44 pieces of elephant ivory and 35 pieces of mammoth ivory, specifically studying the stable isotope ratios of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. While this approach revealed notable overlap for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios between the two ivories, the researchers documented very little overlap in the elephant and mammoth isotope ratios for oxygen and none for hydrogen.

“This is because the elements of water drunk by mammoths in high-latitude regions such as Siberia have distinct isotope signatures compared to the elements of the water ingested by elephants in tropical latitudes,” explained first author Maria Santos, also a researcher from the University of Hong Kong. Simply put, analyzing the stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen in a suspected ivory object is an effective way to determine whether it came from an elephant or a mammoth.

While more research is needed before this approach can be used in a court case, “we hope that the protocol described in our study will be applied to screen large batches of supposedly mammoth ivory objects,” Santos added. “Samples that have an isotopic signature of elephant ivory can then be tested with more expensive and time-consuming methods, such as radiocarbon dating. This could help combat the illegal ivory trade more effectively and close the potential laundering loophole.”

The way I see it, there’s an even simpler solution: Make all ivory illegal.

A rare “ghost elephant” was recently spotted on camera in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park for the first time in around five years. The animal was visually captured by the wildcat conservation organization Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate (DPN).

The new footage shows the “ghost elephant,” named Ousmane after a park ranger, walking directly in front of the camera in the dark.

According to Panthera, “When last spotted in January 2020, Ousmane was considered one of only 5 to 10 elephants remaining in the park—a stark contrast to the hundreds that once roamed here and a reminder of the devastating impacts of poaching and habitat loss. Photos and DNA analysis suggest he might now be the last.”

However, Panthera added that there is still hope for the creature. 

“This sighting has sparked discussions on what can be done to protect the elephant and the technical feasibility of translocating a group of female and male elephants to restore a breeding population in Niokolo-Koba National Park.”

What is a ‘ghost elephant?’

‘Ghost elephants’ refer to a small and critically endangered species of elephants. These animals are so rare and isolated that they commonly go unseen by humans.

According to the Elephant Crisis Fund, a joint initiative of Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, “In many places, particularly in West Africa, there are tiny populations of ‘ghost elephants’ often consisting of fewer than five individuals, too few to have a chance of long-term survival.”

Common threats against these elephants include habitat loss, poaching, conflict with humans, and lack of breeding. The animals are also known to wander into unsafe locations.

“The best chance may be for governments to establish and secure large enough protected areas in the hope that these wandering elephants will find them and feel safe enough to settle and perhaps breed,” the Elephant Crisis Fund concluded.

Ghost Elephant Captured on Camera in West African National Park

According to Panthera’s West and Central Regional Director Philipp Henschel, who spoke with Newsweek, “Elephants are under immense pressure in West Africa. Only a few populations of the pachyderms survive in this region.”

“Niokolo-Koba National Park, where this individual was filmed, is the last area in Senegal where this endangered species survives,” he told the outlet. “Panthera and our local partner, the park authority DPN, have gradually increased the protection of Niokolo-Koba National Park since the start of our joint park support program in 2017.”

Henschel added that they are looking into whether Ousmane is the only survivor left in Senegal.