A Kenya Wildlife Service ranger stands guards near the ivory burning site to prevent people from coming closer. Photo by Hou Liqiang/China Daily

"But we have seen countries emulate Kenya by destroying their hordes. China is among countries that have destroyed confiscated ivory," Scanlon said.

He commended the east African country's efforts to draw international attention to the vice and noted that the trade is destroying economies and livelihoods.

Richard Leakey, the chairman of Kenya Wildlife Service under whose stewardship Kenya started the precedence of destroying ivory, said that the country was destroying 5 percent of Africa's total stockpile.