Illegal ivory trade drives poaching that kills tens of thousands of elephants annually, causing immense individual suffering and disrupting family groups.
Elephants killed by poachers are typically shot multiple times, often suffering prolonged deaths. Calves that witness the killing of their mothers and other family members develop PTSD-like symptoms including increased aggression and difficulty forming social bonds. The disruption of multi-generational family groups from poaching removes accumulated knowledge passed down matrilineally, affecting population wellbeing for decades.