Ivory trafficking drives elephant poaching and causes massive suffering across Africa and Asia.
Poaching for ivory causes profound suffering at multiple levels. Shot elephants die from wounds that may take hours to cause death. Calves that survive the killing of their mothers face psychological trauma and often die without maternal care. Elephant family groups that survive attacks show long-term behavioral changes consistent with post-traumatic stress — increased vigilance, avoidance of former ranges, and disrupted social behavior. Orphaned elephants require years of intensive human care. The decimation of elephant populations removes the social knowledge transmitted across generations, permanently impoverishing remaining groups.