Wildlife Trade

Ivory Trade and Elephant Welfare: The Cost of Every Tusk

The illegal ivory trade kills an estimated 20,000 African elephants annually. Beyond population impact, each killing causes individual suffering and social disruption to matriarchal herds.

Key Facts

African elephant populations declined from 1.3 million in 1979 to under 400,000 today
Poachers target matriarchs — the oldest and most knowledgeable females — for their larger tusks
Herd social structure is severely disrupted when matriarchs are killed
China's domestic ivory ban (2018) significantly reduced ivory demand
Ivory is primarily carved for decorative items — a luxury product with no justifiable welfare justification

Welfare Considerations

Poaching involves violent death by gunshot or poisoning. Orphaned calves — traumatized by witnessing their mother's death — require years of intensive rehabilitation. Herds without matriarchs lose cultural knowledge including migration routes and responses to drought. The social welfare harm of each killing reverberates through the entire herd for years.

What You Can Do

Never purchase ivory products, antique or new
Support Save the Elephants anti-poaching and monitoring programs in Kenya and across Africa
Advocate for governments to maintain and strengthen domestic ivory trade bans
Donate to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphan rehabilitation