Back From The Brink, African Savanna Elephant

“The African elephant once roamed the entire continent of Africa, and the Asian elephant ranged from Syria to northern China and the islands of Indonesia. These abundant populations have been reduced to groups in scattered areas south of the Sahara and in isolated patches in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Demand for ivory, combined with habitat loss from human settlement, has led to a dramatic decline in elephant populations in the last few decades....In 1989, when they were added to the international list of the most endangered species, there were about 600,000 remaining, less than one percent of their original number.”  In 1989 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) placed the African elephant on its most critically endagered list. The ban led to anti-poaching campaigns and increased wildlife protection, and set African elephants on the road to recovery.