The number of elephants in Thailand has declined dramatically in the past century, from approximately 100,000 in 1900 to around 4,000 today. Habitat loss and poaching have resulted in dwindling numbers of wild elephants, but the expansion of roads and other transportation infrastructure, coupled with a logging ban since the late-1980s, has also led to a diminished need for domesticated elephants. An assessment of the relationship between tourism and elephant conservation will be presented.
In Africa, elephant numbers are notoriously difficult to determine but generally the numbers are declining everywhere but in Southern Africa. Efforts are underway to create a trans-border reserve between South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe to help alleviate elephant habitat loss and fragmentation, and other pressures. The Tuli Elephant Conservation Project is one small part of this effort.