--- title: World Elephant Day: Why It Matters description: Today is World Elephant Day, and while it's a great time to catch up on cute elephant videos, there are serious problems facing the species. canonical: https://time.com/4450027/world-elephant-day-why-it-matters/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-12T14:50:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T23:56:57.565Z article:section: Science og:title: Today Is World Elephant Day. Here’s Why That Matters og:description: An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers og:url: https://time.com/4450027/world-elephant-day-why-it-matters/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt752e44c88740195f/6988a22eab6d77511c6aae15/world-elephant-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TOPSHOT-KENYA-WILDLIFE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Today Is World Elephant Day. Here’s Why That Matters twitter:description: An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt752e44c88740195f/6988a22eab6d77511c6aae15/world-elephant-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Today Is World Elephant Day. Here’s Why That Matters > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Aug 12, 2016 2:50 PM UTC  An African elephants throws mud onto himself at the Mpala Research Center and Wildlife Foundation, near Rumuruti, Laikipia District, Kenya, on Jan.31, 2016. An African elephants throws mud onto himself at the Mpala Research Center and Wildlife Foundation, near Rumuruti, Laikipia District, Kenya, on Jan.31, 2016.Simon Maina—AFP/Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Aug 12, 2016 2:50 PM UTC Today is World Elephant Day, and while that means it’s a great time to catch up on [cute elephant videos ](http://time.com/4088776/baby-giraffe-baby-elephant-best-friends/?iid=sr-link2)online, there are also serious problems facing the species. Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, [according to the World Elephant Day website](http://worldelephantday.org/about/elephants), and an estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers. Asian elephants are also in trouble: there are fewer than 40,000 Asian elephants left in the world, which is less than one-tenth of the African elephant population. Still, [according to _National Geographic_](http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/08/12/two-cheers-on-world-elephant-day-2016/), there are signs of hope. In 2016, the mean estimate of the Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants (PIKE) dropped below 5% for first time since 2009, which means the population may be able to recover, _National Geographic_ says. And prices of raw ivory in China dropped more than 50% between 2014 and 2015, according to the [latest survey](http://savetheelephants.org/about-ste/press-media/?detail=sharp-fall-in-the-prices-of-elephant-tusks-in-china) by Save The Elephants (STE), which could decrease the demand that leads to poaching. World Elephant Day asks people to support various conservation policies to help elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing some captive elephants into sanctuaries. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4450027/world-elephant-day-why-it-matters/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4450027/world-elephant-day-why-it-matters/"},"headline":"Today Is World Elephant Day. 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