The elephant population in central Africa, where the worst of the killing is believed to be taking place, has dropped significantly over the past 10 years, according to estimates cited by Bas Huijbregts, head of field programs for the conservation organization WWF in the Congo Basin region.
Savanna elephant populations in the Central African Republic are believed to have plummeted from around 80, 000 just 30 years ago to a few hundred today, according to WWF, formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund.