Ivory is made of a substance called dentine—the same stuff found under the enamel layer of your teeth. But you don’t sell your teeth when they fall out! So why would people pay big bucks for ivory?

People prize ivory for its beauty, toughness, and shine. The smooth material is easy to carve. And elephants make more ivory than other tusked creatures: walruses, hippopotamuses, and narwhals. Want to craft an ivory pool ball? A set of piano keys? Knife handle or a necklace? Nab just one elephant tusk and you’ve got six feet of ivory to work with.               

Behind the Ivory

But before you swipe a tusk, take a look at its source: the African elephant. These pachyderms are Earth’s biggest land animals. Males can grow up to 13 feet tall and weigh 14,000 pounds.

When it comes to these herds moving across Africa, though, Dad elephant isn’t the boss. Mom is. In fact, male elephants go solo around the age of 12. Female elephants (called cows!) stick together in a herd.

 The oldest, largest female elephant is called the matriarch (MAY-tree-ARK). She makes decisions for the herd. This cow brings as much as 70 years of experience and memory to the group. She can remember where to find water in dry times. She may even recall which spots are safest from poachers.

If poachers do kill a matriarch elephant, her herd will stay by her. They will put themselves in danger to remain with their leader.