Because the elephant population in Africa had drastically shrunk in the 1980s, hunting elephants was banned in 1989. Since 1997, limited trade has been allowed again. However, illegal commercial trade has alarmingly increased this century due to rising prosperity in China (70% of all ivory goes to China, the rest mainly to Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand).

Criminal gangs, rebels, and military units are poaching in a very professional manner using helicopters and automatic weapons. On average, 70 elephants are killed per day, and $10 billion per year is involved in the illegal ivory trade.

In 2012, more than 25,000 elephants were killed, in 2013 already 35,000. As of 2022, only 415,000 African elephants remain.