When antlers naturally fall off, small animals sometimes gnaw them to obtain essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus. This sustainable process helps bring nutrients back into ecosystems. Zuni artist Maxx Laate adores carving with shed antler as seen in a beautiful family of elephants each with soulful eyes from turquoise inlays. Unlike antlers that are shed annually, an elephant's tusks grow throughout the animal's lifetime. A huge decline in elephant populations from poaching during the 1980s resulted in laws to help protect the species. Former President Barack Obama issued an executive order on July 1, 2013 declaring a near-complete ban on international commercial trade in elephant ivory. Dimensions of this powerful pachyderm herd are approximately 3 1/2" tall, 6 1/2" wide and 2" deep.
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