Age structure as an indicator of poaching pressure: Insights from rapid assessments of elephant populations across space and time

What is it about?

We used rapid demographic assessments of elephant populations to assess the impact of selective mortality on population structure. We found that age and group structure changed predictably with poaching in elephant populations, that poached populations had fewer calves and older individuals and a higher proportion of tuskless individuals.

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Why is it important?

Our findings are consistent with previous work documenting how the loss of older individuals – targeted for their larger tusks – decreases recruitment and survival of elephant calves. Illegal killing for ivory is a big threat to the survival of African elephants. In this context, the present study contributes towards validating the use of age structure as an indicator of poaching pressure in elephant populations, but also in other wildlife populations where illegal offtake is targeted at specific age classes.