Hi Juan,

You've got an interesting question. I'm not sure what your study area is but I can sure tell you that African elephant numbers are increasing at increasing rates in most South African National Parks, to the point where culling is necessary to maintain a functional ecosystem. It is barely possible to transport these animals to other areas because of the high costs involved. Outside of these protected areas however, is a different story. Most human settlements do not simply coexist with the likes of the highly-destructive elephant. However, hunting of elephant have been decreasing as the ivory trade is settling down. Unfortunately, the rhino horn trade is escalating alarmingly, and so human conflict strongly influences population trends in this case. In both cases, habitat fragmentation due to human settlement is a big issue being tackled by conservation assessment authorities both nationally and privately. These habitats are unfortunately the most productive in terms of human developments (e.g. grasslands in terms of agriculture, mining and industry), so these tend to coincide with megafauna habitat.

This broad question can lead to essays but I hope I've outlined some common points.

Hi! Thank you very much for your answer, Chanel; it has been very useful to me. I am interested for both teaching and research angle in issues on animal conservation.

All the best

Juan

Hi again, I just came across this paper you may find helpful:

Rudi J. van Aarde, Tim P. Jackson, 2007. Megaparks for metapopulations: Addressing the causes of locally high elephant numbers in southern Africa. Biological Conservation 134: 289-297.

Hi again, Chanel.

Thanks for your past feedback; I have read these recent news which may be of interest to you:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/03/african-elephants-killed-faster-than-they-are-being-born