Elephant Poaching
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were still an estimated ten million elephants living on the African continent. The population collapsed within a very short space of time due to the massive loss of wild areas as a result of increasing population numbers.
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.
Unfortunately, Africa is still losing around 20,000 elephants every year.