Wildlife

Welfare of African Elephants in the Wild

African elephant populations face threats from poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict, with individual and population-level welfare implications.

Key Facts

African elephant populations dropped from 5 million to around 400,000 in the 20th century
Elephants grieve their dead, visiting bones of deceased family members repeatedly
Poaching orphans calves, who suffer severe psychological trauma without their family
Human-wildlife conflict causes approximately 500 human deaths and 200 elephant deaths annually
Elephants are the only non-human animals that show consistent burial-like behaviors toward their dead

Welfare Considerations

Wild elephant welfare is inseparable from conservation: population decline, social disruption from poaching, and habitat fragmentation all cause profound individual suffering. Poaching-orphaned calves experience complex trauma — social, psychological, and physical — that dedicated sanctuary programs like the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust work to address. Human-elephant conflict reduction is both a human safety and elephant welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Never purchase ivory products, regardless of age or claimed legality
Support the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphan rehabilitation program
Donate to community-based conflict mitigation programs in elephant range states
Advocate for CITES enforcement and ivory trade bans at national and international levels