The reason why is not clear, yet the South African elephant population has been growing steadily with 4% increases every year for several years. Overpopulation may prove a problem soon for the elephant in the south Africa. African elephants all around the continent have made a come-back from 500,000 in the 80′s, to today’s 600,000. East Africa and Central Africa, however, continues to harbor low levels of elephant populations due to poaching for ivory.

The middlemen involved with selling poached ivory to sellers to be made into trinkets in Vietnam and China, gain massive amounts of money from the poaching industry. While elephants are starting to crowd in southern Africa, elephant populations in central and east Africa remain low. Many have been caught poaching and have been arrested, while others simply pay policemen to turn away and pretend they don’t know the paoching that exists. The country South Africa, despite struggling numbers of elephants elsewhere in Africa, would like to see the ban lifted on selling irvory. They have debated opening hunting again for thier elephant populations, or looking into alternatives such as contraception.

Debate rages on in South Africa as to how to manage the growing elephant population, balancing the needs of the elephants and the needs of the people. Struggle to capture and prosecute poaching for ivory in Africa continues and remains to leave the future of elephants in central and eastern Africa uncertain. While elephants in future South Africa may be culled legally, poachers may have the future of central and eastern African elephants in their hands.

References,

http://www.economist.com/node/18713975