Elephant numbers fall by 100,000 in decade

A surge in killing African elephants for ivory has led to the “majestic” animal’s numbers falling by more than 100,000 in a decade, conservationists warned.

The rise in poaching over the past decade is the worst Africa has experienced since the 1970s and 1980s, and is the main driver for the most serious declines in elephant populations in 25 years.

Estimates from a range of sources including aerial surveys and dung counts suggest numbers are 93,000 lower than in 2006, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).