But man is a far greater threat to the elephant than the elephant is to man. The price of ivory has skyrocketed, the biggest bulls carry over 400 pounds (180 kg) of it, and laws don’t stop the poachers. They take the tusks and leave the rest to rot.

In fact, estimates on the number of elephants killed annually by poachers range from 45,000 to 400,000. Wildlife surveys indicate that the total number of African elephants has dwindled from its former millions to near 900,000 animals. If poaching continues at its current pace, that number will be cut in half within the next ten years. As old bulls, or tuskers, become increasingly rare, more and more younger males and even females are shot.

In fact, the need of living space for Africa’s wildlife poses complex problems. For instance, a wild elephant passing through and feeding on a small farm may easily threaten the farmer’s very livelihood. And yet, if too many elephants are confined within the borders of a park or reserve where they won’t threaten farmers’ crops, they may swiftly turn the park’s forests into grasslands with their voracious feeding habits. Since the elephants can’t move on, the forests don’t have a chance to grow back.