The Remote Government Warehouse Where Confiscated Wildlife Ends Up

The National Wildlife Property Repository , a government facility outside of Denver, stores more than a million products of the illegal wildlife trade, from tigers and bears to elephant ivory. These items are confiscated at points of entry around the United States, and sent to the Repository to be destroyed or used for educational purposes. The Wildlife Property Repository is a revealing window into the growing global industry of wildlife and plant trafficking, which has been estimated at up to $23 billion .

The facility also houses the National Eagle Repository , which receives and distributes deceased bald and golden eagles to Native Americans around the United States, who use them for religious purposes.

( Image via Aleksey Klints / Shutterstock.com )