Poachers play deadly ivory game in Kerala forests

13 kg of elephant teeth and ivory artefacts seized, exposing resurgent trade linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata

The word on the street early this April about a hair loss remedy, an oil which contained ground wild elephant teeth kindled the curiosity of forest officers in Kerala.

Their investigations into the rumour led them to “Hasthadantha” Mashi, an ancient Ayurvedic salve that is said to aid hair growth. Word spread and so did the demand for the hair oil. This was bad news for wild elephants. Along with ivory, their teeth were also now in demand.

In pursuit of the poachers, investigators tapped into a network of wildlife traffickers in south India and learnt that animal trappers in Idukki Wild Life Sanctuary had elephant teeth to sell. An enforcement official, posing as an Ayurvedic practitioner and a buyer of wildlife trophies, met with the suspects a few times, dropped names of wealthy buyers, showed them money and gained their trust.


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