Elephants fulfill crucial roles - they disperse seed, clear and open up the bush, build water holes and bring nutrients into the cycle of other animals and thus maintain the delicate balance of their ecosystem.
1950:
3.5 Mio elephants left in Africa
Today:
Only 400,000 left (-90%)
Elephant Conservation
Elephants carry young in their bellies for almost two years before they are born. This long gestation period, along with the fact that they usually only give birth to one calf at a time, means the reproduction rate of the elephant is relatively low.
Poachers are interested in the elephant’s tusks. During the worst period of poaching, which took place in the 70s and 80s, it is estimated that 100,000 elephants were shot dead annually, and that a population of 3-5 million was reduced by 90%. Trade in elephant ivory was declared illegal in 1990, a measure that enabled the population to recover in several regions. However, wherever corrupt governments are at work, the slaughter continues.
