Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Affected by: Illegal wildlife trade , Human wildlife conflict , Habitat loss and fragmentation
How lucky are we to share our planet with incredible giants like this? But huge numbers of these unique-looking, intelligent animals are being brutally killed to fuel the growing demand for their ivory.
Around 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century – mainly due to the ivory trade. Elephant poaching, even though it’s illegal, has been getting dramatically worse in parts of Africa in the last 10 years – mostly because of growing demand for ivory in China and the Far East. Around 20,000 African elephants are being killed every year for their ivory - that's around 55 every day
We're doing all we can to help, from monitoring herds, to training community rangers and protecting habitat. In safeguarding elephants, we’re also helping support local communities through measures to reduce human-elephant conflict and initiatives to support local livelihoods. We need your help to protect them.
Physical Description
Currently, African elephants are the largest terrestrial organism. Female elephants can range from 2,000 to 3,500kg in mass and stand 2.2 to 2.6m at shoulder height. Male elephants are larger, ranging from 4,500 to 6,100kg in mass and standing 3.2 to 4m at shoulder height. Distinguishing characteristics between the sexes include head shape, width of forehead, saddle-back vs straight back, and tusk size. Males are broader with a curvy build. Both sexes have two thick, ivory tusks which are curved and can reach up to 350 cm in length. African elephants have muscular trunks that are able to grab objects and can be used for breathing purposes. They can grab objects due to the unique shape at the end of the trunk. Their sizable ears are triangular and can help keep them cool in the hot, summer months.
African elephants have creased, gray skin covered with papillae. The thick (up to 30 mm), immobile skin covers the majority of the body, while bumpy skin covers areas that require a lot of movement. Smooth skin can be found on delicate areas of the body. Hair that varies in color, length, and thickness can be found along the body. Hair that grows along the back and tail is flattened dark hair that can grow to 0.80 m in length. Hair around the eyes is long in order to prevent foreign objects from entering the eyes. Calves have different hair coloring and texture. Their hair is softer with a lighter tone such as a red or brown.
Affected by: Illegal wildlife trade , Human wildlife conflict , Habitat loss and fragmentation
How lucky are we to share our planet with incredible giants like this? But huge numbers of these unique-looking, intelligent animals are being brutally killed to fuel the growing demand for their ivory.
Around 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century – mainly due to the ivory trade. Elephant poaching, even though it’s illegal, has been getting dramatically worse in parts of Africa in the last 10 years – mostly because of growing demand for ivory in China and the Far East. Around 20,000 African elephants are being killed every year for their ivory - that's around 55 every day
We're doing all we can to help, from monitoring herds, to training community rangers and protecting habitat. In safeguarding elephants, we’re also helping support local communities through measures to reduce human-elephant conflict and initiatives to support local livelihoods. We need your help to protect them.
Physical Description
Currently, African elephants are the largest terrestrial organism. Female elephants can range from 2,000 to 3,500kg in mass and stand 2.2 to 2.6m at shoulder height. Male elephants are larger, ranging from 4,500 to 6,100kg in mass and standing 3.2 to 4m at shoulder height. Distinguishing characteristics between the sexes include head shape, width of forehead, saddle-back vs straight back, and tusk size. Males are broader with a curvy build. Both sexes have two thick, ivory tusks which are curved and can reach up to 350 cm in length. African elephants have muscular trunks that are able to grab objects and can be used for breathing purposes. They can grab objects due to the unique shape at the end of the trunk. Their sizable ears are triangular and can help keep them cool in the hot, summer months.
African elephants have creased, gray skin covered with papillae. The thick (up to 30 mm), immobile skin covers the majority of the body, while bumpy skin covers areas that require a lot of movement. Smooth skin can be found on delicate areas of the body. Hair that varies in color, length, and thickness can be found along the body. Hair that grows along the back and tail is flattened dark hair that can grow to 0.80 m in length. Hair around the eyes is long in order to prevent foreign objects from entering the eyes. Calves have different hair coloring and texture. Their hair is softer with a lighter tone such as a red or brown.
