'Elephants in Africa could be extinct in five years'
As World Elephant Day is being commemorated today, SA National Parks says studies are underway to better understand elephants - to ensure their future survival.
According to a CoP17 (17th Conference of the Parties) report prepared for a conference that will be held in Johannesburg next month, researchers say the proportion of illegally killed elephants dropped below 5% for first time since 2009.
SanParks says, however, more conservation work is needed to prevent the illegal poaching of elephants for ivory.
Meanwhile, the Elephant Ignite Expedition - an all-women, 13 member team mostly from KZN - has embarked on an expedition to raise awareness about the killing of elephants on the African continent.
Spokesperson Yolande Kruger says the team - which left on Tuesday - will travel more than 10 000km across 10 Southern African countries.
"We have been so focused on what is happening to rhino in South Africa per se that we are - as the general public - a little uninformed in terms of what is happening to Africa's elephants. If we don't stop the slaughter of elephants, we could have no elephants in the next four, five years," she said.