Kenya Burns Ivory Stacks in Protest of Poaching

Burning of 105 metric tons of seized ivory aimed at highlighting scourge of illegal elephant poaching

"""Authorities set fire to 11 pyres and finished ivory goods representing more than 6,000 dead elephants Saturday to highlight the scourge of poaching that is driving the mammal to extinction on the African continent.

Some 105 metric tons of confiscated ivory was set alight in a national park on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, in what organizers say would be the largest-ever burning of the valued material.

The undertaking highlights both a renewed push by African nations to end poaching and the challenges faced by conservationists on a continent where the pressure to address urgent human needs often collides with efforts to preserve wildlife habitats."""