Today marks World Elephant Day, an event that started two years ago dedicated to the preservation and protection of the largest terrestrial animal in the world.
World Elephant Day was conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark, of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, the secretary-general of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation.
It is now supported by over 65 wildlife organizations around the world, in order to raise awareness of the plight of African and Asian elephants and to spread knowledge about the conservation of the creatures, according to the World Elephant Day website.
African and Asian elephants both face extinction, with African elephants classified as "vulnerable" and Asian elephants "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
Current population estimates are at around 400,000 for African elephants and 40,000 for Asian elephants, although some organizations claim these numbers are too high.
The demand for ivory is the main reason for the illegal poaching of elephants. In Kenya, poaching has increased sevenfold between 2007 and 2010, and since 2012, over 400 elephants have been killed, according to the Guardian.
Poachers have killed 51 of the animals between January and the end of April this year, according to the World Elephant Day website.
Human conflict is also considered a concern amongst activist. As human populations increase and forests decrease, elephants are forced into close proximity with human settlements.
Habitat loss due to mining, agricultural activist, and deforestation has also hurt elephant populations. It has also made breeding difficult and allows poachers find the animals and set traps more easily, according to the World Elephant Day website.
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