The two main historical factors behind the decline of African elephants – demand for ivory and changes in land-use – still pose a serious threat to the species.
Most range states do not have adequate capacity to protect and manage their herds. If conservation action is not forthcoming, elephants may become locally extinct in some parts of Africa within 50 years.
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_d...afelephants_threats/
Forest elephant killed by poachers for tusks, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic .