Elephants are under enormous pressure in the wild, which threatens their survival.
Elephants are protected in the wild under CITES (Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species). According to USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service), their conservation status is identified as endangered in Asia, and endangered and threatened in Africa. Elephant populations are declining in some areas, while locally overpopulated in others. The greatest threats to elephants in the wild are habitat loss, the continued illegal trade in ivory and the encroachment of human populations into wildlife areas. One strategy to reconnect elephants' natural migratory routes links protected areas together by creating habitat corridors, allowing elephant populations to mix and potentially decrease human/elephant conflict.
Elephant conservation is extremely complex and must take into account both human and animal needs. Negative elephant/human interactions include crop loss, human fatalities, and damage to houses and other structures. Positive interactions include ecotourism, especially when the local community benefits from the tourist revenues. Seeing elephants in their natural environment may create inspirational experiences that foster positive attitudes towards elephants. Creative solutions to human/elephant conflicts must involve the local people and benefit them, as well as elephants.
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