:00:11. > :00:14.Hello Newsrounders, welcome to Johannesburg in South Africa.
:00:15. > :00:18.I'm here because thousands of elephants are being illegally
:00:19. > :00:21.killed every year across Africa for their ivory tusks.
:00:22. > :00:25.And I've spent the last week finding out why elephants are so important
:00:26. > :00:27.and what is being done to stop that happening.
:00:28. > :00:31.The biggest ever meeting of the worlds countries to talk
:00:32. > :00:34.about how to protect wildlife is happening here.
:00:35. > :00:38.And last night they agreed to call for a ban on the buying
:00:39. > :00:44.The killing of elephants is a massive problem here in Africa
:00:45. > :01:12.Elephants are some of the most famous and most loved animals on the
:01:13. > :01:17.planet and today they are walking a road to extinction.
:01:18. > :01:22.This counted and recorded the number of Elle fans and where they live.
:01:23. > :01:26.They used a plane to fly across 18 African countries from Mali in the
:01:27. > :01:33.west to South Africa where I am now. The results were shocking. In seven
:01:34. > :01:42.years, one in three of Africa's elephants has disappeared. Elephants
:01:43. > :01:47.without borders, a group involved in the census say 30,000 are being
:01:48. > :01:52.killed a year and since 2007, Africa's lost 144,000 because of
:01:53. > :01:55.poaching. That's when they're imlegally hunted
:01:56. > :01:59.and killed for their tusks which can be sold around the world for huge
:02:00. > :02:02.amounts of money as part of the Ivory trade -- illegally. They are
:02:03. > :02:06.being killed faster than new elephants are being born and unless
:02:07. > :02:09.something is done to stop Ivory poaching, there is a fear Elle fans
:02:10. > :02:15.could die out within our lifetime. This is where it gets confusing.
:02:16. > :02:20.Countries selling Ivory to each other isn't allowed, but buying and
:02:21. > :02:23.selling old Ivory like antiques is still allowed in some countries. But
:02:24. > :02:29.the illegal Ivory trade's not stopped. Poachers are still killing
:02:30. > :02:34.elephants for their tusks and the Ivory is still being sent around the
:02:35. > :02:40.world by networks of criminalsmost lick to places like China and
:02:41. > :02:43.Vietnam where they can be carved into jewellery or ornaments. There
:02:44. > :02:49.are different opinions as to whether the trade should be allowed. Some
:02:50. > :02:52.countries say they should be allowed to sell Ivory to raise money for
:02:53. > :02:56.elephants. Many other countries say the only way to stamp out poaching
:02:57. > :03:01.is to ban the trade on Ivory completely.
:03:02. > :03:05.Campaigners say this call for a ban on all ivory trading is a big
:03:06. > :03:07.step forward in stopping elephants being poached.
:03:08. > :03:10.But this ban would only apply if countries choose to follow it.
:03:11. > :03:14.Finding ways to protect elephants has been really
:03:15. > :03:19.So what makes these amazing creatures so cool.
:03:20. > :03:28.Here's 11 things you might not know about them.
:03:29. > :03:36.There are only two types, African and Asian. Female Asian Elle fans
:03:37. > :03:40.don't have tusks. Elle fans can be left tusked or
:03:41. > :03:47.right tusked like being left or right handed.
:03:48. > :03:54.-- a newborn elephant weighs more than 200 pounds, about 30 human
:03:55. > :03:58.babies. Elephants have eye lashes. The
:03:59. > :04:07.African elephant is the world's largest land animal.
:04:08. > :04:13.Adult elephants cannot jump. They don't like bees.
:04:14. > :04:17.An elephant's trump has more muscles than the whole human body put
:04:18. > :04:25.together. Elephants can get sun burn. They use
:04:26. > :04:29.sand or mud to protect themselves. Elephants are pregnant for 22
:04:30. > :04:34.months, almost two years! How amazing are these animals? !
:04:35. > :04:37.There's loads more online; take a look at our guide about elephants
:04:38. > :04:39.and the ivory trade and test yourself with our elephant quiz.
:04:40. > :04:47.Make sure you're watching Newsround tomorrow to find out what you tell
:04:48. > :04:58.And we put your elephant questions to school kids in South Africa.
:04:59. > :05:01.From the team in Johannesburg, have a brilliant evening.