Thousands of tusks from illegally killed elephants and rhinos will be set in flames in Nairobi National Park to highlight the plight of the world's iconic endangered species.

World Wildlife Day, being celebrated on March 3 for the third time – this year under the slogan ‘The Future of Wildlife is in our hands’ – is focusing on the plight of African and Asian elephants, which are being slaughtered in their thousands for their tusks to supply the ivory trade. But other species, such as vultures, are also in serious decline because of human actions

Government-backed survey shows elephant numbers declined from 20,000 to 10,300 due to illegal wildlife trade and lack of governance.

Community representatives and wildlife officials met from 3-6 April and agreed urgently needed conservation measures for elephants contributing to the implementation of the CMS West African Elephant MOU, including the formal establishment of a new transboundary law enforcement mechanism at the village level.