Bagpipes seized at border - that’s how seriously US authorities take ivory ban

The skirl of their pipes had barely receded before two US teenagers learned a hard lesson in cross-border musical diplomacy.

If your bagpipes have ivory in them, leave them at home before travelling or risk having them seized on your return.

Campbell Webster and friend Eryk Bean were returning to the United States from Canada last weekend after a bagpipe competition that served as a tune-up for the world championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

The New Hampshire 17-year-olds, fresh off winning several top prizes in Canada, got to a small border crossing in the state of Vermont when they were told to hand over their pipes because they contained ivory.

The US prohibits importing ivory taken after 1976. Even though the boys had certificates showing their ivory was older, with Webster's pipes dated to 1936, US Customs and Border Protection seized the pipes at Highgate Springs, Vermont. Not all of them, though; the boys took every other part possible and left the ivory with the Border Patrol so nobody else could make a full set out of the parts.

"This has been an awful headache," said Lezlie Webster. "At one point at the Canadian border, they said, 'no way are we going to get our pipes back'."