2 FEB: Elephant ivory is being sold openly to tourists in Cairo and Luxor and at Egyptian holiday resorts despite a ban on international sales which has been in place for some 20 years. The claim appeared yesterday in leading South African newspaper The Star, which says the main buyers are Chinese, Italians, Spaniards and Americans.

Evidence of widespread trading was gathered by two staff journalists posing as tourists.

The situation is of particular concern to South Africa, which is experiencing massive rhino poaching, despite deploying hundreds of military personnel in the Kruger National Park and elsewhere.

Nearly 450 rhino were killed by ivory poachers in South Africa last year and just this week the government has been considering whether to erect a 150km-long fence along the Kruger’s border with Mozambique in a bid to end the slaughter.

The Star report says rich Chinese are paying up to $50,000 on ivory souvenirs in just one session of bargaining in Cairo.