Africa's 2 elephant species are both endangered, due to poaching and habitat loss

This week I read an article "Africa's 2 elephant species are both endangered, due to poaching and habitat loss" written by George Wittemyer. The author describes in there how the number of African savanna and forest elephants has dropped drastically, which caused the International Union for Conservative of Nature to change their status to "endangered" and "critically endangered". One of the reasons why the African elephants become extinct is the increasing demand for ivory in one part of the world and thus the increase in poaching in Africa. Moreover, by converting large parts of elephants' habitats into farmlands, they search for new areas, sometimes close to humans, which leads to a conflict between this animal and human. However, while the scale of decline in Africa's elephant populations is overwhelming, there are many examples of successful conservation these animals across the continent, such as KAZA - Kavango –Zambezi Trans frontier Conservation Area. 

In my opinion, it is very bad news, that another animal species are dying out due to human activities. As the author of this text says: "Recent studies show forest elephants also play an important role in fighting climate change by enhancing carbon storage in central African forests, among the most important carbon reserves on the planet". Elephants, also are "linchpin of the wildlife-based economy across Africa", what means that they build the balance between trees and grass on Africa's savannas.