Despite its own policies outlawing any items that come from endangered species, Google has been found by the Environmental Investigation Agency, to have thousands of ivory and whale products on the Japanese version of its shopping site.

Surveying the site over a two and a half week period in February, the EIA found as many as 1,400 different whale products and over 10,000 ivory products. These adverts are still live today, as despite attempts by the EIA to contact Google to have them taken down or at the very least, investigated, nothing has been done.

“Google has laudable policies that prohibit the promotion of endangered wildlife products including whale, dolphin and elephant ivory, but sadly these are not being enforced and that's devastating for whales and elephants,” said Allan Thornton, president of the EIA (via Wired).

“While elephants are being mass slaughtered across Africa to produce ivory trinkets, it is shocking to discover that Google, with the massive resources it has at its disposal, is failing to enforce its own policies designed to help protect endangered elephants and whales.”

This isn't hyperbole either. A quick glance at another Google channel brings up a whole host of stories, all discussing how growth in poaching is causing major problems for elephant populations.

KitGuru Says: Stories like this don't do much to sway the world's opinion of the way Japan deals with endangered animals.

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