African elephants are a highly endangered species due to the value of their ivory tusks. Many people kill elephants due to this value and others for the spiritual aspect of it.
Every day, 96 elephants are killed by ivory poachers, according to the World Wildlife Fund, if this trend of animal cruelty continues; elephants could go extinct by 2025, according to wildlife scientists.
Although it is illegal to kill elephants for their tusks, many poachers continue to do so.
Sophomore Caitie Gonzalez said, “I think its wrong. It’s also wrong that poachers are killing them for personal gain.” More than 100,000 elephants were killed in the time span of three years. The WWF is trying to slow down the loss of natural habitats to reduce the comingling between elephants and humans.
African elephants are endangered due to the value of their meat and tusks, as well as their spiritual needs. They are threatened by habitat loss and human-elephant conflict.
Junior Kylie Barrett said, “Elephants’ tusks aren’t souvenirs or trinkets that you can keep. You are ending their lives.” You can sign up at https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/justice-elephants?source=campaigns to help end the endangerment and near extinction of African elephants.