World Elephant Day: Bee Fences Instead of Bullets

Habitat loss, competition for natural resources, human-wildlife conflict, the climate crisis, poaching and trophy hunting are threatening the survival of elephants worldwide.

All three existing elephant species — the  Asian Elephant, the African Savanna Elephant and the African Forest Elephant — are threatened with extinction: estimates suggest there are only 50’000 Asian and 415’000 African elephants remaining in the wild.

These figures reflect a dramatic decline in population: the Asian Elephant population has declined by at least 50% since 1945, the African Forest Elephant by at least 90%, and the African Savanna Elephant by 70%.

The easiest way to tell the species apart is by their ears. African elephants have larger ears, which are conveniently shaped like the African continent. African elephants also have two finger-like gripping extensions at the tips of their trunks, which they use to grasp objects, while Asian elephants have only one.

The African savanna elephant is the largest of the three species and the largest land animal on Earth. Adult males weigh approximately 5’000 to 6’000 kilograms.

The trunk of an elephant consists of approximately 150’000 muscles, which, according to Sean Hensman, elephant specialist at the "Adventures with Elephants" reserve in South Africa, makes it an "incredible tool". Since their trunks have no bones, elephants can bend or twist them in all possible directions and even make them shorter or longer. They use it to suck up water and blow it into their mouths, to gather food, or for almost anything else they need to do.

One of the most popular assumptions is that elephants have an incredible memory. That is true, says Hensman. They have a large temporal lobe — the part of the brain that controls memory. Elephants need a good memory for the locations of numerous food and water sources in order to survive in some of the harshest climatic zones.

World Elephant Day, celebrated on 12 August, is an opportunity to assess the progress of positive efforts to protect elephants . Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International) has long championed innovative immunocontraception and coexistence campaigns that help make a difference for this iconic animal.

Dr. Audrey Delsink, Senior Director of Wildlife at Humane World for Animals South Africa, who has dedicated her life to these initiatives, sees this as an opportunity to celebrate elephants, but also to challenge the assumptions underlying their management:

We see it as a call to move beyond traditional, lethal one-size-fits-all models, outdated paradigms of dominance and utility, and conservation concepts that ignore animal welfare and the principles of justice and coexistence. Scientifically grounded, humane interventions for elephant populations enable us to act with care and to transform the lives of communities and elephants alike.

Immunocontraception, a form of fertility control developed for animals, is a proven, humane alternative to hunting on elephants, which many scientists, including Delsink, consider a misguided attempt to control wild populations. She and her colleagues are convinced that immunocontraception offers a better option for reducing elephant populations, and that there are other highly effective tools to mitigate the impacts of and conflicts between humans and elephants over the long term. They demonstrate the benefits of these tools through an ongoing vaccination program in dozens of reserves across South Africa.

While elephant populations are shrinking overall, habitat loss and land-use policies often confine them to limited areas through physical barriers such as fences or unprotected zones. This leads to competition for resources and conflicts with humans. Since relocation options are limited, immunocontraception offers a humane way to address these problems. The vaccine is administered remotely, without immobilizing the animals, and prevents fertilization.

Thanks to a groundbreaking immunocontraception program by Humane World for Animals, partners of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Population Management Laboratory, deployed specialists, and partner reserves, more than 1’700 wild elephant cows across 50 reserves throughout South Africa have been safely vaccinated to prevent overpopulation and reduce conflicts with humans over the long term. To date, 70% of elephant cows outside Kruger National Park — where this contraceptive method is not applied — have been treated. A single female can give birth to 8–10 calves in her lifetime, making the exponential impact of the immunocontraception program self-evident.

Although the international ivory trade is prohibited under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the illegal trade in elephant tusks continues to contribute to their killing and decimation. In addition to the devastating effects of poaching, trophy hunting has catastrophic consequences. Permits are acquired to kill elephants in order to bring home body parts as cruel souvenirs — an activity made possible by a loophole in the ivory trade ban. South Africa is the leading exporter of CITES-listed hunting trophies for mammals in Africa — including elephants — and one of the largest worldwide. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 23’000 individual animals were exported as trophies.  

The USA and the  European Union are the world’s largest importers of hunting trophies. 

The trophy hunting has particularly negative effects on the ecosystem of the Greater Amboseli-Kilimanjaro West in East Africa and threatens the survival of Super Tusker elephants there. Super Tuskers are typically older males with at least one tusk weighing more than 45 kilograms. They play a crucial role in the balance of their ecosystems and in the social behaviour of bulls. Sadly, there are fewer than 50 of these iconic bulls across the entire African continent.

For elephant activists around the world, World Elephant Day is not an occasion for despair or resignation. It is rather a call for renewed commitment and fresh efforts to educate a global audience about elephants, raise awareness of their needs, and address their plight in a practical way — with innovative and impactful programmes that are scientifically grounded and implemented with careful consideration of the interests of both humans and elephants. 

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