World | elephant UN Approves China to Buy Ivory Critics say allowing imports plays 'Russian roulette' with elephants' lives By Rob Quinn Posted Jul 16, 2008 5:29 AM CDT Copied Kenya Wildlife Service rangers head of operations Josiah Achoki and his rangers look on tusks recovered from ten poached elephants in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, in this March 4, 2002, photo . (AP Photo/David Ngige, IFAW) China has been given a green light to begin importing African ivory by a UN body that banned the sale 10 years ago, a decision that has infuriated conservation groups, the Daily Telegraph reports. African states say they need to sell stockpiles of ivory from elephants that are culled or die of natural causes in order to fund conservation efforts. Critics believe the move will encourage poaching and put more pressure on endangered elephant populations. The trade ban was partially lifted in 1999 when Japan was allowed to buy ivory at an auction after it was deemed to have sufficient safeguards in place to screen out illegal trading. Now the UN group, CITES, has decided that China has met those standards, and will be allowed to bid against Japan at a second auction. "We are deeply disappointed that CITES has backed China as an ivory buyer, a decision that plays Russian roulette with wild elephants," said the director of an animal welfare group. Read These Next Sienna proves herself to be a very, very good dog. Three hikers jumped into a waterfall and never resurfaced. America has lost a '60s teen idol. Millions of student loan borrowers could see their paychecks docked. Report an error