is hippo ivory importable?

[matt85]

i did a search and nothing came up on this forum or google, all i see is talk of elephant ivory. i plan to hunt hippo next year and it will likely be in Zimbabwe.

so the question is the same as the title, is hippo ivory importable to the US?

thank you
-Matt

 

[Wheels]

Matt, as far as I know it is fine from everywhere except Mozambique.

Just make sure the hippo's name isn't Cecil!

Enjoy your time planning the hunt.

 

[siml]

Matt, wheels is correct.

 

[matt85]

thanks!

im gonna get some collars with names on them for my future animals.

-matt

 

[DUGABOY1]

i did a search and nothing came up on this forum or google, all i see is talk of elephant ivory. i plan to hunt hippo next year and it will likely be in Zimbabwe.

so the question is the same as the title, is hippo ivory importable to the US?

thank you
-Matt

Mat Hippo teeth are not ivory, but simply teeth, just like a wild hog. They will eventually fall apart over time.
I have a pair that I shot in Zambia back in 1992 and one started popping big chunks off it within a couple of years and the other has split it's full length in that last six months.

Like all teeth they has a dentine outer surface and a softer inner and as they dry the dentine pops off. So they need to be coated with something to retard the drying.

As far as I know they are importable from most countries, but others who have hunted MOS say they are not imported from there, I wouldn't know about that, but this is the first time I have heard of them being not importable from any country. Check with your booking agent or PH to be sure.
..........................Good hunting!

 

[Royal27]

Matt, as far as I know it is fine from everywhere except Mozambique.

Yeah, and if you will recall @Buff-Buster even had problems getting USFWS to let him import his replica hippo from Moz...

That still cracks me up every time I think about it!!!

I can still just imagine Wes on the phone talking to them....

 

[JimP]

Mat Hippo teeth are not ivory, but simply teeth, just like a wild hog. They will eventually fall apart over time.
I have a pair that I shot in Zambia back in 1992 and one started popping big chunks off it within a couple of years and the other has split it's full length in that last six months.

Like all teeth they has a dentine outer surface and a softer inner and as they dry the dentine pops off. So they need to be coated with something to retard the drying.

As far as I know they are importable from most countries, but others who have hunted MOS say they are not imported from there, I wouldn't know about that, but this is the first time I have heard of them being not importable from any country. Check with your booking agent or PH to be sure.
..........................Good hunting!

It actually is considered ivory. Ivory like regular teeth will dry out in time and crack and fall apart if not preserved. Hippo ivory is second most commonly used ivory after elephant ivory. It is also more dense than elephant ivory and has a finer grain to it which makes it harder to carve. Most of it is used for buttons and inlays because it is so dense and fine grained.

While I don't have any hippo ivory I have quite a few elk ivories and have found quite a few dead heads with the ivories still in the heads. It is next to impossible to remove it from the dead head because as it dries out it turns quite brittle and with crack apart if you try to remove it from the skull.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Yeah, and if you will recall @Buff-Buster even had problems getting USFWS to let him import his replica hippo from Moz...

That still cracks me up every time I think about it!!!

I can still just imagine Wes on the phone talking to them....

And some people wonder why I drink.....jeeze

 

[UKHunter]

Mat Hippo teeth are not ivory, but simply teeth, just like a wild hog. They will eventually fall apart over time.
I have a pair that I shot in Zambia back in 1992 and one started popping big chunks off it within a couple of years and the other has split it's full length in that last six months.

Like all teeth they has a dentine outer surface and a softer inner and as they dry the dentine pops off. So they need to be coated with something to retard the drying.

As far as I know they are importable from most countries, but others who have hunted MOS say they are not imported from there, I wouldn't know about that, but this is the first time I have heard of them being not importable from any country. Check with your booking agent or PH to be sure.
..........................Good hunting!

If you melt candle wax into the tusks it stops them drying out and cracking as you describe. The same goes for pigs, wild boar, warthogs, etc.

 

[DUGABOY1]

It actually is considered ivory. Ivory like regular teeth will dry out in time and crack and fall apart if not preserved. Hippo ivory is second most commonly used ivory after elephant ivory. It is also more dense than elephant ivory and has a finer grain to it which makes it harder to carve. Most of it is used for buttons and inlays because it is so dense and fine grained.

While I don't have any hippo ivory I have quite a few elk ivories and have found quite a few dead heads with the ivories still in the heads. It is next to impossible to remove it from the dead head because as it dries out it turns quite brittle and with crack apart if you try to remove it from the skull.

You may consider it as ivory but it is not ivory. In Africa the only true ivory is Elephant and Wart hog.

As far as carving Hippo teeth, the dentine has to be ground off to get to the softer material under the dentine. The two Grouser teeth that stick straight out between the fighting teeth are much closer to being ivory, and do not have the corrugated surface of the fighting teeth. I suppose we will simply have to agree to disagree on this subject!
................................Good hunting!