China will impose a complete ban on ivory trading and process by the end of 2017, a move that has been openly welcomed by global animal activists and animal right organizations.

The decision is likely to prove major boon for preventing the mass killing of African elephants that is steadily pushing the animal on the verge of extinction.

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"China's announcement is a game changer for elephant conservation. The large-scale trade of ivory now faces its twilight years, and the future is brighter for wild elephants," Carter Roberts, the president and CEO of WWF (World Wide Fund), said.

Chinese state media Xinhua said that Friday's ban would severely affect the businesses of 34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues.         

The latest decision comes after a prohibitive order was issued in March putting a ban on import of all ivory and ivory-related products acquired before 1975. The order was apparently issued after animal right activists piled up pressure on Chinese government to curb the illegal ivory trading.

Conservationists claimed that more than 20,000 African elephants were slaughtered last year for illegal trading of ivory, with WWF claiming that only nearly 415,000 elephants are now remaining across the world.   

Scientists who have extensively worked on preservation of Savanna elephants claimed that before the European civilization, Africa had more than 20 million elephants. These numbers drastically fell to 1.3 million by 1979 and became even worse in the later years due to boost in ivory trading.

While illegal ivory trading exists across the world, animal right activists consider China as the main hub of the market.   

Tagschina, Ivory Trade China, illegal ivory trade, African Elephants