text: elephant tusks are used for?   well, on live elephants, they are used to show off superiority in the herd and get the largest harem. the alpha-male has the largest tusks generally. also used for goring predators like lions.  on dead elephants, they are used for curios and artifacts. banned in most countries, ivory trade is still quite lucrative and hence a lot of smuggling and poaching goes on in africa and asia.