More than 100,00 elephants killed for ivory over decade, new figures reveal

An increase in ivory poaching has seen the number of African elephants plummet by more than 100,000 in a decade, conservationists have warned.

The rise in the illegal trade is seen as the main cause of the most serious decline in elephant populations in 25 years.

Estimates, based on a number of sources including aerial surveys and dung counts, indicate numbers are 93,000 lower than in 2006, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But because the figures include elephants from previously uncounted populations, experts believe the actual drop is nearer to 111,000.

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In total there are thought to be around 415,000 elephants in Africa, although there could be up to 135,000 more in areas which have not been properly surveyed.

The findings come after Sky News highlighted the plight of the African elephant , which in some parts of the continent face extinction.

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The Duke of Cambridge has also spoken of his fears the animal will disappear from the wild due to poaching by the time his daughter Princess Charlotte turns 25.

IUCN director general Inger Andersen said: "These new numbers reveal the truly alarming plight of the majestic elephant - one of the world's most intelligent animals and the largest terrestrial mammal alive today.

"It is shocking, but not surprising that poaching has taken such a dramatic toll on this iconic species.

"This report provides further scientific evidence of the need to scale up efforts to combat poaching."

But she added: "These efforts must not detract from addressing other major and increasingly devastating threats such as habitat loss."

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The latest data comes as experts warn the illegal ivory trade shows no signs of abating.

A study by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic found a continued upward trend in large raw ivory shipments of 100kg or more.

Responding to the Traffic report, WWF's Ginette Hemley said: "It's increasingly clear that despite unprecedented global calls to end elephant poaching, international crime syndicates are still shipping vast amounts of ivory out of Africa."