Watch A Ton Of Illegal Ivory Get Crushed In Central Park

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A ton of confiscated elephant ivory will be destroyed by an "enormous rock crusher" in the middle of Central Park next month – and you can watch it happen.

The New York State and the Wildlife Conservation Society is teaming up to pulverize items such as ivory trinkets, statues, jewelry and tusks in Central Park's Sheep Meadow and Naumburg Bandshell on the morning of August 3, according to a WCS press release.

The more than 650 pieces of ivory with an estimated value of more than $6 million, had been seized by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation and the federal government.

The message of the spectacle is clear: To draw attention to the estimated 96 African elephants killed every day in the illegal ivory trade, according to the WCS.

"The battle against elephant poaching is far from over, but New York is showing the world that it is serious about stopping the killing, stopping the trafficking, and stopping the demand," John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants Campaign, said in a statement.

"We encourage all New Yorkers to attend this dramatic event and see first-hand the ravages of poaching, and what is being done to stop it."

In addition to watching the ivory get put through the crusher, the WCS is encouraging members of the public to enter a contest to participate in the ivory crush. One lucky person will be selected to place an ivory piece on a conveyor belt that leads to its impending doom in the rock crusher.

Photo courtesy Wildlife Conservation Society