The illegal ivory trade continues to drive elephant poaching across Africa and Asia, causing immense suffering to individual elephants and social disruption to herds.
Elephants killed by poachers suffer painful deaths from gunshot wounds or poisoning. Orphaned calves who witness their mothers killed experience severe psychological trauma. Herds lose generational knowledge held by matriarchs. Anti-poaching programs protect individual welfare while reducing demand through education and enforcement is essential long-term.