An online ivory shop in Singapore that claimed to sell accessories made of vintage ivory, has drawn outrage from hundreds online. But, it came out as the part of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) campaign in the country to raise awareness on the ivory trade as they are following wildlife laws.
The online store, Ivory Lane Singapore was launched on Jul 31 that claimed to sell accessories made from elephant ivory. The online page of the shop includes professional videos and photographs of models, who were wearing those ornaments that worth almost $160 for a pair of earrings to $800 for a necklace. The website also added that these products were inspired by "the luxury of nature and heritage," and it also added that the ivory is "a secret desire for most girls."
The social media users left several comments on its Facebook and Instagram page stating that the business is "despicable", "disgusting" and "tasteless".
After receiving outrageous comments from people the store responded that the concern about the use of ivory is understandable but they assured that this ivory, which they use is completely legal in Singapore, as it was made with vintage ivory before 1990.
In addition, on Tuesday, August 7 WWF has confirmed that they were behind this fake business. As per the Reuters report, they also added that the campaign that reached 250,000 people and "sparked a heated debate on wildlife trade, national legislation and enforcement in Singapore" by generating almost 65,000 reactions on social media.
Later the WWF also said that it could be a fictional brand, but the highlighted issues are real, as the ivory trade is still taking place in the country and the demands for such products are also there, even though the country banned the commercial import and export of ivory in 1990. In addition, they mentioned that this online fake business shop was the vehicle to bring out these opinions from the Singaporeans louder than any organisation.
The investigation by WWF has stated that there are more than 40 shops in the country that were selling illegal ivory products and numerous online listings on popular e-commerce and classified platforms. Many shopkeepers also explained to them how these ivories were smuggled across the borders that showed the loopholes of the law.
However, while the Singapore government is trying to implement a domestic ban on the sale of ivory, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said that the implementation details are currently being worked out.
