A new report published on World Elephant Day 2026 reveals that up to 2,800 African elephants were shot by trophy hunters in 2024 (the most recent year for which full official data is available). The trophies taken home included tusks, skins, trunks, ears, feet, tails, and an elephant’s penis.
At the beginning of the 19th Century there were an estimated 20 million African elephants. Today there are around 400,000.
The report includes accounts from some of the world’s leading elephant hunters in which they describe the “thrill” of the kill.
They include Ron Thomson, who has shot 5,000 elephants. After one such hunt, he recalls: “The smile on my face is painful. The exhilaration is complete.”
Tony Sanchez-Arino, who has shot over 1,300 elephants as well as hundreds of lions, leopards and rhinos, boasts: “My personal record is 20 elephants in 75 minutes”.
Meanwhile John J Jackson, former President of Safari Club International, says: “Nothing else in life is more satisfying than an elephant hunt.”
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