Elephants have lost ground on two continents, and World Elephant Day, held on Thursday, August 12, 2027, exists to rally help for both. Filmmakers and a Thai foundation started it.
Why August 12?
The first World Elephant Day launched on August 12, 2012, and the date has stayed the same since.
Filmmakers and a Thai Royal Project
Patricia Sims and Michael Clark conceived the day in 2011 with Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, according to the official World Elephant Day site. Sims still directs it.
That foundation began in 2002 as a royal initiative of Queen Sirikit. It runs three forest sanctuaries where more than 100 formerly captive elephants have been released, with 28 field staff on site.
Sims and Clark also made the documentary Return to the Forest, which earned them a humanitarian award.
Two African species
In March 2021, the IUCN assessed Africa’s forest and savanna elephants as separate species for the first time, after new genetic evidence.
IUCN listed the forest elephant as Critically Endangered, and the savanna elephant as Endangered. Until then, African elephants had been treated as one Vulnerable species.
Declines have been steep. Forest elephants fell by more than 86% over 31 years, and savanna elephants by at least 60% over 50 years.
Ivory drove much of it. Poaching surged from 2008 and peaked in 2011, the IUCN reports, while farms and other land uses ate into habitat. A 2016 report put the combined population at about 415,000.
Forest elephants now hold only about a quarter of their historic range in Central and West Africa. Their largest remaining populations are in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.
Some local losses are severe. In Cameroon’s Dja Biosphere Reserve, the Zoological Society of London estimates forest elephant numbers have dropped by about 70% since 1995.
Asia’s elephants
Asian elephants are the largest land mammals on their continent, standing 6.5 to 11.5 feet tall. Fewer than 50,000 remain, spread across 13 countries in South and Southeast Asia, the World Wildlife Fund estimates.
Habitat loss is their biggest threat, since about 70% live outside protected areas. Only tusked males are hunted for ivory.
Southeast Asia and China hold just 16% to 20% of them. That’s roughly 8,000 to 11,000 animals.
Capture is another threat. India, Vietnam and Myanmar have banned taking wild elephants, including calves for tourism.
Why Elephants Need a Day
Recovery is possible, and several African countries have shown that declines can be reversed, the IUCN says. Savanna elephants in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area have held steady or grown for decades.
Gabon and the Republic of the Congo show it for forest elephants, too. Numbers there have stabilized in well-run conservation areas.
Their dung shapes habitat, too. One Asian elephant drops about 220 pounds a day, spreading seeds as it goes.
Ways to Help on World Elephant Day
- Refuse ivory: CITES banned the international ivory trade in 1989, so skip antique or souvenir ivory too.
- Know the species: African forest and savanna elephants now carry separate listings.
- Watch the founders’ film: look for Return to the Forest by Sims and Clark.
- Back corridor work: WWF aims to reconnect 12 protected areas in Asia’s Terai Arc.
- Join the conversation: post with #worldelephantday, the day’s official hashtag.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far do Asian elephants roam?
As far as 125 square miles, WWF says.
How long do elephants spend eating?
Up to 19 hours a day, much of it on grasses.
Who leads an elephant herd?
The oldest female, the matriarch. Asian herds usually have six or seven related females.
How often must an Asian elephant drink?
At least once a day.