{"id":14586,"date":"2024-08-11T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-11T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/?p=14586"},"modified":"2024-08-10T09:14:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T08:14:41","slug":"the-duel-threats-to-endangered-elephants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/the-duel-threats-to-endangered-elephants\/","title":{"rendered":"The duel threats to endangered elephants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light curved-bottom\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1779\" height=\"1178\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-4602\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash.jpg\" style=\"object-position:45% 70%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"45% 70%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash.jpg 1779w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash-1536x1017.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1779px) 100vw, 1779px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-post-title\">The duel threats to endangered elephants<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2024-08-11T20:00:00+01:00\">11 August 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"lead\">This World Elephant Day, we revisit the elephant chapter of our <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/vanishing-icons\/\">Vanishing Icons report<\/a>. It explores the main reasons African elephants are endangered: poaching and habitat fragmentation. It also examines how population growth contributes to both issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elephants have long been admired for their gentle giant grace and deep familial bonds. They are a fixture of the African savanna, recognisable by only their silhouette. However, the largest land animal on our planet is in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The African savanna elephant is classified as endangered on the IUCN red list, and the African forest elephant <a href=\"https:\/\/eu.idtdna.com\/pages\/community\/blog\/post\/pretty-threatened-southern-california-s-mountain-lions-face-serious-long-term-survival-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">critically endangered<\/a>. Like every animal under threat, a constellation of factors contributes. Among those factors is population growth on the continent from which these animals take their names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main threats to elephant\u2019s survival are poaching for the ivory trade and habitat fragmentation. Currently, two-thirds of the African continent still provides suitable habitat for elephants. Only 17% of that habitat is <a href=\"https:\/\/iucn.org\/news\/species-survival-commission\/202108\/shrinking-spaces-worlds-largest-land-animal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">available to them<\/a> due to the development of roads, farms and urban centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Population, poverty and poaching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>External demand and a complex network of factors, including human population, drive elephant poaching. In countries where legitimate economic opportunities are scarce, some citizens turn to poaching to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.animallaw.info\/article\/detailed-discussion-elephants-and-ivory-trade\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">generate income.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2019 article published in <em>Nature Communications<\/em> drew a clear link between rates of elephant poaching and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-019-09993-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">local poverty<\/a> &#8211; poverty that is correlated with high population growth. A 2023 report issued by UNICEF emphasised population growth as a cause of increased rates of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/press-releases\/children-bearing-brunt-stalled-progress-extreme-poverty-reduction-worldwide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">child poverty in Africa<\/a>. The burden of large families can be significant, putting greater financial pressure on individuals. With limited economic opportunities and large family burdens, this can create a poverty trap that allows individuals to be exploited by the poaching industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1022\" height=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/elephants.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant\" class=\"wp-image-10624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/elephants.jpg 1022w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/elephants-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/elephants-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Across sub-Saharan Africa, decreasing family sizes reflect the alleviation of pressures driving high fertility and improved access to contraception. However, progress is slow and, in some places, stalled, with the population expected to continue rising. In 2020, Africa&#8217;s population was around 1.34 billion, and forecasts predict it will reach nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1224205\/forecast-of-the-total-population-of-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2.5 billion by 2050<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poaching requires multilateral and swift action &#8211; action that must also respect the rights of individuals and communities. However, the contribution of population growth is a reminder that poverty, as well as affluence, is a driver of biodiversity loss, as seen in the context of chimpanzees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nowhere to go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What remains a critical threat to elephants is habitat fragmentation. Not simply loss of habitat area but loss of continuous areas of habitat in which animals can freely roam. This is worsened by continued human population growth driving development. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IUCN Red List elephant report<\/a> states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cCurrently the most important perceived threat is the loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by ongoing human population expansion and rapid land conversion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2.png\" alt=\"Vanishing Icons: Endangered Elephants\" class=\"wp-image-11583\" style=\"width:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2.png 1350w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Picture2-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Elephants have a life expectancy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.uk\/learn\/fascinating-facts\/elephants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">60 to 70 years<\/a>. Their survival depends on regular migration over large distances to search for food, water and potential mates. As mega-herbivores, elephants consume 150kg of vegetation and 190 litres of water <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/ecology-and-evolution\/articles\/10.3389\/fevo.2018.00235\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">daily<\/a>. Meeting these dietary needs requires a large foraging area. The development of roads, farms, and expanding cities shrinks elephant habitats, progressively forcing them into closer contact with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conflicts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common form of human-elephant conflict is due to elephant crop raiding. Evidence suggests these raids peak during harvest, impacting vulnerable communities with food scarcity. Many of the areas worst affected by elephant and human conflict, are also home to the poorest communities, with 1.2 billion people who live on less than $1.25 per day residing in elephant range countries. These poor communities are less resilient to deal with the aftermath of elephant raids, which can lead to revenge killings that further undermine conservation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These low-income communities are increasingly having to compete with elephants, for space and resources. Subsistence farmers often live near forests and permanent water sources to secure water access for their crops and livestock, due to lacking irrigation infrastructure. This puts pressure on natural resources, driving deforestation and increasing water scarcity, and increases the likelihood of elephant and human conflicts. This region is also experiencing rapid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1224205\/forecast-of-the-total-population-of-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">population growth<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephant.jpg\" alt=\"Endangered Elephant\" class=\"wp-image-3979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephant.jpg 703w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephant-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Research suggests that elephant populations will co-exist with human communities until a threshold of 15-20 people per km2 is reached. Currently, the average population density of Zimbabwe is<a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/EN.POP.DNST?locations=ZW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> 41 people per km2<\/a>, this gives a sense of the pressure put upon remaining elephant habitats due to high population density.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Protecting people<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nor are elephants the only victims of these stresses. Displacement and human rights abuses of people in the name of conservation are now finally starting to get the <a href=\"https:\/\/iucn.org\/story\/202206\/statement-human-rights-abuses-conservation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attention they need<\/a>. Responsibility for ending these practices lies with the governments and institutions perpetrating or tacitly encouraging them. Conservation must address biodiversity loss drivers while benefiting indigenous and marginalised communities, both morally and practically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elephants and humans can coexist peacefully if space and resources are sufficient for both. Rapid population growth threatens this balance. Measures to reduce population growth benefit human communities, including family planning, poverty reduction, gender equality, and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Addressing all these factors in conservation efforts can help secure a future for both humans and elephants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-share\"><a class=\"fb-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2F%3Fp%3D14586\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 32H48A48 48 0 0 0 0 80v352a48 48 0 0 0 48 48h137.25V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.27c-30.81 0-40.42 19.12-40.42 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V480H400a48 48 0 0 0 48-48V80a48 48 0 0 0-48-48z\"><\/path><\/svg> Share<\/div><\/a><a class=\"tw-share\" 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44.833-46.132 57.827 21.117-2.273 41.584-8.122 60.426-16.243-14.292 20.791-32.161 39.308-52.628 54.253z\"><\/path><\/svg> Tweet<\/div><\/a><a class=\"li-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2F%3Fp%3D14586&amp;text=The%20Battle%20for%20Territory%3A%20How%20Human%20Expansion%20Affects%20Tiger%20Habitat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg> Post<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-light-blue-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-grid grid grid-3\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/07\/whale-beachings-are-on-the-rise\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Drowned Out: Why Whale Beachings Are On The Rise<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-768x514.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-14203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/noaa-ldoOaF4c-w-unsplash-2048x1371.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Following the tragic mass beaching of 77 pilot whales on World Population Day, we assess how human activity is damaging the world\u2019s oceans and having catastrophic effects for the survival of the world\u2019s marine species.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/vanishing-icons\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Vanishing Icons<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"276\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tigertiger-e1695995551326-768x276.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-10622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tigertiger-e1695995551326-768x276.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tigertiger-e1695995551326-300x108.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tigertiger-e1695995551326.jpg 978w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Six detailed case studies of charismatic megafauna at risk of extinction due to the pressure of human population growth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/biodiversity\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Biodiversity<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-768x413.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-2180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-768x413.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-1536x826.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-2048x1101.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Nature is under pressure as never before. One million species are under the threat of extinction. Our human population is one of the drivers of the biodiversity crisis. Learn more. <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This World Elephant Day, we revisit the elephant chapter of our Vanishing Icons report. It explores the main reasons African elephants are endangered: poaching and habitat fragmentation, and how population growth contributes to both.","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":4602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,30],"tags":[10,14],"class_list":["post-14586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-observance-day","tag-biodiversity","tag-environment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The duel threats to endangered elephants - Population Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This World Elephant Day, we explore the two main threats to endangered elephants and how population growth contributes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/the-duel-threats-to-endangered-elephants\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The duel threats to endangered elephants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This World Elephant Day, we revisit the elephant chapter of our Vanishing Icons report. It explores the main reasons African elephants are endangered: poaching and habitat fragmentation, and how population growth contributes to both.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/the-duel-threats-to-endangered-elephants\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Population Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PopulationMatters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-11T19:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elephants_mylon-ollila-j4ocWYAP_cs-unsplash.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1779\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1178\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Madeleine Hewitt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"The duel threats to endangered elephants\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"This World Elephant Day, we revisit the elephant chapter of our Vanishing Icons report. 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