Description:
African Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They can grow to more than 3m with tusks over 2m long. One of Africa’s ‘Big Five’, elephants play an important part in the continent’s tourism industry and are vital keystone species for maintaining the ecosystems they inhabit.
© Big Life Foundation
Key facts
Population:
The African Elephant population has decreased by around 90% in the last century.
Diet:
Habitat:
The African elephant occupies a range of habitats and can be found in dense forest, open savannah and grassland.
Range:
Elephants are found in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa although their distribution varies considerably with the majority of their range remaining only in parts of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. million km².
© Susannah Rouse
Conservation South Luangwa
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy - Kenya © Daryl & Sharna Belfour
Threats
Poaching for ivory has been a major cause of the species decline, while the greatest threat is currently habitat loss and increased human-wildlife conflict as result, driven by the rapid growth of the human population and land conversion.
Conservation:
Conservation measures include habitat management and protection through law enforcement. Tusk supports a number of anti-poaching initiatives focused on protecting elephant populations, for example in Kenya, Zambia and Mali, as well as community-based projects to tackle the problem of human-elephant conflict.
Learn more about the projects
Poaching for ivory has been a major cause of the species decline, while the greatest threat is currently habitat loss and increased human-wildlife conflict as result, driven by the rapid growth of the human population and land conversion.
Conservation:
Conservation measures include habitat management and protection through law enforcement. Tusk supports a number of anti-poaching initiatives focused on protecting elephant populations, for example in Kenya, Zambia and Mali, as well as community-based projects to tackle the problem of human-elephant conflict.