Here we use DNA-based methods to assign population of origin to African elephant ivory from 28 large seizures (≥ 0.5 tons) made across Africa and Asia from 1996 to 2014. ... Our work suggests that the majority of ivory in large seizures since 2006 was poached in just 2 key areas. We did not obtain all seizures made during that period. ... Our data are based solely on the sources of large ivory seizures that bear the signature of large-scale organized crime.... DNA assignment data can be similarly constrained by variation in country willingness to provide seizures for analysis in a timely manner, particularly since all seizures are assumed to represent only 10% of what is smuggled.