U.N. gathering rejects southern African bids to trade ivory, rhino horn

JOHANNESBURG: Namibia and Zimbabwe failed on Monday to convince a U.N. body that they should be allowed to export ivory, while Swaziland lost a bid to sell ivory horn - moves they all argued would protect rather than endanger big animals.

Member states of the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted overwhelmingly at a conference to reject the proposals to sell tusks and horns seized from poachers, are taken from animals that die naturally, or have been put down by the state because they have caused problems such as crop destruction.