"Ethical Ivory" pirates in Siberia and bigger longterm issues for the region...

Mammoth ivory can fetch over $1,000,000 after it has been carved in China

Instapundit: Radio Free Europe: The Mammoth Pirates

While Putin is busy battling Putin, Russians have a far bigger issue to worry about than poor Siberians looking for prehistoric ivory and rhino horn...

Can Russia hold onto Siberia? There are a lot of resources in Siberia and China wants them.

NY Times: Why China will claim Siberia...

This would be the elephant in the room on the continent

There are rhinos in those permafrost hills too...

Still, given how living elephants and rhinoceros are faring from poachers driven by the ivory and rhino horn trade...

EBL: A bleak future for elephants and mega fauna in Africa and Saving the endangered black rhinoceros by hunting it

Instapundit: Perhaps the Russians should be reaching out to the Indians and Vietnamese, Obama giving Putin dirty looks (maybe he should send Michelle to do that, she is better at it), and Putin vs. Putin