Poaching for ivory causes severe welfare harm and population devastation to African elephants; international trade bans combined with demand reduction are the primary interventions.
Ivory poaching causes welfare harm at multiple levels simultaneously. The killing methods including poisoning, shooting, and snaring cause acute pain and distress. Family group disruption following the death of adult females - who carry critical ecological knowledge - causes lasting behavioral and psychological impacts on surviving group members, particularly calves that may witness the death of their mothers. The social intelligence of elephants means these events have welfare consequences extending beyond the immediate victim. Addressing the trade requires both supply-side interventions (anti-poaching) and demand-side reduction through international consumer engagement.