King Louis XIV's pet elephant attacked with chainsaw It is not known if the thief intended to sell the ivory on the black market. The international trade in elephant ivory has been banned since 1990. Jacques Cuisin, from the museum's restoration workshops, said he had not ruled out the possibility that it was an act of a "deranged individual." The ancient elephant's tusks are not from the original animal - it was they were added to its skeleton in the 19th century - but are still of significant historical and scientific value. Mr Cuisin said it should be possible to refit the tusk. "The skull is in excellent condition, which means repairing it will be quite easy," he said.