WASHINGTON — US authorities on Thursday announced a near-total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory, finalising a years-long push to fight the poaching of the threatened animals.Conservation groups welcomed the move by the US, the world’s second-largest consumer of illegal ivory after China, even though it comes with notable exemptions including for antiques. The new rule, which takes effect July 6, "substantially limits" imports, exports and sales of ivory across state lines, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said."Today’s bold action underscores the US’ leadership and commitment to ending the scourge of elephant poaching and the tragic impact it’s having on wild populations," Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said.More than 35,000 elephants are slaughtered each year on the African continent from an approximate population of more than 450,000 in the wild. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) hailed the US move to protect the species as historic."The USA is boldly...
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