Reports indicate a significant decline in mammal populations, with a 70% decrease in savannah species and a 90% decline in forest-dwelling mammals.
The key factors behind this were poaching and habitat loss.
Researchers analyzed population data from 475 sites across 37 countries from 1964-2016, observing regional variations, including a 42% increase in southern Africa attributed to conservation.
The total population of the two species as of 2016, the last year of the study period, was between 415,000 and 540,000 elephants.
Elephants are poached for their tusks , which are sold illegally on the international black market, largely due to demand for ivory in China and other parts of Asia. Agricultural expansion is a major driver of habitat loss.
