The ivory trade is a commercial, often illegal trade in the ivory tusks of the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, rhino and most commonly, Asian and African elephants. Ivory has been traded for hundreds of years, but has led to endangerment of species in recent time resulting in restrictions and bans. In only two decades the number of elephants in Africa dropped from 1,2 million to 600'000. Since 1989 ivory trade has been banned, but even today people sell and buy ivory, which has resulted in people trying to increase awareness of the problem.